


Sofia the First: New Beginnings

by Saya444



Series: Sofia the First: Reborn [1]
Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-01-25 16:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 86,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21358876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saya444/pseuds/Saya444
Summary: 12 year old Sofia Balthazar was just an ordinary village girl, until her mother marries the king and she becomes a princess literally overnight. Now as she tries to adjust to the life of a royal, as well as her new family and home, she is dragged into the otherworld dealings of beings who seek her precious amulet for their own nefarious purposes.
Relationships: Sofia the First/OC
Series: Sofia the First: Reborn [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539748
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	1. Once Upon a Princess part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is the first of a series that is basically a reimagining of the Sofia the First universe. A lot of things are different-namely that there aren't as many Disney characters in this story, and the children are aged up to be around 12-13. Some original characters are added to the main cast, and the overall mythology of the world itself is reworked from the ground up or altered to fit the story. This is my first foray into the SoF universe, so I'm really nervous, but I want to try my hand at writing another fanfiction of a cartoon that I absolutely adore. I hope you all give it a chance. Thanks for reading!

Sofia the First

New Beginnings

Chapter 1-Once Upon a Princess

It amazing how fast things can change in the span of a few weeks. How easy it is for your entire life to be turned upside down in such a short amount of time. Life was unexpected like that, and it showed no mercy to the unwary and unsuspecting, even children.

Sofia Balthazar knew this firsthand that life was full of surprises, and not all of them were good. She learned that the hard way when she lost her father, Birk, far out at sea while he was out fishing. Since then it was just her and her mother, Miranda, and they had to make do with what they had.

And everything was fine. Sure, Sofia had to grow up a bit fast to help her mother in their shoemaking shop, but all in all, it was a peaceful life for a twelve year old girl. She still had her home, her mother, her friends. It was a nice life to have as a child considering that not everyone was as lucky as her.

Then everything changed when she and her mother went to see the king. King Roland had commissioned them for a new pair of royal ceremonial slippers and had offered a lot of money for their services. Miranda was ecstatic and Sofia was overjoyed; being employed by the King of Enchancia of all people was a once in a lifetime chance that they weren’t going to mess up.

They worked hard to make the best pair of royal slippers for the king, and when they finished, mother and daughter were escorted to the castle to give the slippers to King Roland.

Looking back on that moment when her mother slipped those fantastic slippers onto the king’s feet, Sofia should’ve realized that was when Roland and Miranda fell in love for the second time in their lives. The look they gave each other was something you’d only hear about in fairy tales. Love at first sight.

It was the perfect fairy tale ending, really, but for Sofia it was a new beginning. The start of her new life as a princess.

XXXXXX

“Sofia, are you feeling alright?”

Her mother’s question shook Sofia out of her silence as she gave her a smile. “I’m doing fine, mom. I’m just…trying to process all of this. It’s so unbelievable that I keep thinking it’s a dream.”

Miranda chuckled and held her daughter’s hands. “I know how you feel. I felt the same way on the day of the wedding. But you’ll get used to it, Sofia. Before you know it, everything will feel ordinary again.”

Sofia knew her mother was right, but that didn’t make it feel any less strange. It hadn’t really set in that things were changing forever even after her mother was married and officially anointed as Queen of Enchancia. It was only when she was saying goodbye to her old home and to her best friends, Jade and Ruby, that Sofia realized that her life wasn’t going to be the same anymore. It was nerve wracking, especially for a girl who was content with her humble life, but she kept her chin up for her mother’s sake.

Sofia eyed her mother’s bright pink dress, which had to have been worth more than their entire wardrobe combined. Miranda looked radiant and her smile only made her look even more beautiful, which Sofia hadn’t seen since she lost her father. Miranda was always a bright and optimistic woman who didn’t let her problems affect her personal life, but Sofia could tell that right now she was walking on air.

“Oh, look we’re almost there!” Sofia exclaimed. She could already see the high towers of the castle through the treetops and it made her even more excited (and nervous) for what was to come. “I wonder what our room will be like.”

“Sofia, now that we’ll be living in the castle, you’ll have your own room, one larger than our old bedroom. Won’t that be exciting?” Miranda smiled.

Mother and daughter clasped hands and shared equally excited squeals. This was going to be the best day of their lives!

XXXXXX

When they arrived at the castle, the entire royal court was assembled in the courtyard to see the arrival of the new queen. Sofia didn’t know who half of these people were, aside from the many nobles who lived within the walls of the royal district that surrounded the castle. They all stared at her and Miranda with intense gazes and big smiles, seemingly happy that the king had another queen to rule alongside him once again. And a new princess to dote upon.

The carriage stopped in front of the steps to the castle, where trumpeters blew into their horns, and a page opened the door for Miranda and Sofia to step out of the carriage. At the top of the steps stood King Roland Pendragon, a tall and handsome man with well-groomed blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, clad in his ceremonial attire as he awaited his queen and step-daughter.

Standing next to him were the king’s children, Prince James and Princess Amber. Being twins they shared their father’s blond hair and green eyes, but that’s where the similarities ended. James was a young boy of thirteen, with short blond hair and still sported some baby fat on his face, even though he was clad in his fancy green suit that he complained was too tight around the neck. Many have said that James looked just like Roland when he was a young boy.

Amber was already a young beauty, with long golden hair tied swept back by her diamond tiara and ended above her shoulders, where they curled luxuriously. She wore a bright yellowish green dress that was the latest fashion among the nobility, but her barely hidden scowl marred her pretty visage upon seeing her new stepmother and stepsister.

“That’s the new princess?”

“Yes, she’s looks cute, doesn’t she?”

“She’ll grow to be a beauty, just like her mother.”

Amber’s scowl deepened as she heard the mutters (you’d think adults would learn to keep their comments to themselves, the haughty bastards), and her brother smirked at her expression.

“Uh oh, looks like you’re not the fairest in the land anymore, Amber.” James teased. His smirk grew at the scathing glare she sent him.

“Don’t even start, James.” Amber hissed through her teeth.

“Amber, James,” Roland looked down at his children. “I hope you two will be nice to your new sister.”

“Of course, father.” Amber said sweetly.

‘Oh boy.’ James thought.

“Your majesty.”

Everyone turned to see the new Princess Sofia, clad in her dark purple peasant’s dress, giving the king a cute little curtsey with a smile on her face. Miranda walked up to Roland and did the same.

“King Roland.” She smiled.

“Queen Miranda.” Roland’s smile was brighter than the sun as he offered her his arm.

As her mother got acquainted with the king, Sofia went to greet her new brother and sister.

“Hey, there!” Sofia said brightly.

“Good morning, Sofia.” James replied politely.

“And a great morning to you too, Prince James.” Sofia said and looked at Amber. “I know we didn’t get to talk much at the wedding, but I am so excited to be your new sister, Princess Amber.”

“Stepsister.” Amber corrected, flicking her fan open like a whip. James winced a bit as Sofia’s smile dimmed slightly, though it miraculously stayed on. Point for her for taking that first shot.

“Amber, James,” Miranda walked up to the children and knelt down to look at them both. “I know there aren’t many fairy tales about kind and loving stepmothers, but I hope you can accept me as part of the family. So I made these.”

She handed the twins two velvet badges with the symbol of a Pegasus on the front. Amber and James looked at them curiously.

“Hey, it’s our family crest.” James said.

“Exactly,” Miranda smiled. “Because that’s what this is all about, becoming a family.”

Roland put a hand on Sofia’s shoulder and held her close. “Sofia, welcome to the family.”

With that, everything seemed to finally add together for Sofia, who stood with her mother and her new family.

“All hail Queen Miranda Pendragon and Princess Sofia Pendragon.”

The crowd erupted into loud cheers for their new queen and princess. Sofia smiled at her mother and held her hand as the royal family stood together in front of the castle.

Roland glanced at someone behind him and cleared his throat. A tall, rather skinny man clad in dark robes with short black hair and sporting a surprisingly long nose stepped forward and held up a thin wooden stick-a wand, Sofia realized with an excited smile.

“Ahem,” The man cleared his throat and puffed out his chest. “Surrexerunt pluviam!”

Sofia gasped as a bolt of energy shot from his wand up at the sky. There was a bright flash in the sky, before the clouds suddenly went dark above the castle and it began to rain…rose water? The crowd gave startled shouts as they were suddenly doused in a torrent of rain, and the nearby servants on standby pulled out umbrellas and held them over the royal family to protect them from the rain.

“Cedric, I said flowers,” Roland said, glaring lightly at the man. “Not showers. We’ve been over this.”

“A thousand apologies, your majesty.” Cedric chuckled nervous and smacked his wand on his hand a couple of times. “S-Still getting used to this wand…”

“No worries, I’ve got this!” Another boy around the same age as the children stepped forward and clapped his hands. Sofia didn’t get a good look at him, but she could see that he had on the same dark robes as Cedric, with longer black hair and slightly pale skin.

“That’s Cedric, our royal sorcerer.” Roland said to his wife and stepdaughter. “He comes from a family of sorcerers who have served the royal family for generations. The boy there is Dante, his apprentice.”

Sofia watched mesmerized as Dante performed a series of quick but complicated hand gestures before raising them to the sky. In a heartbeat, the rain shower dissipated and the sky cleared up. And in the place of raindrops were a shower of rose petals.

“Wow.” Sofia breathed. She had never seen real magic in person before, and this was…well, magical!

XXXXXX

When the procession ended, the royal family entered the castle, and Sofia got a better look at the place that would be her new home. Sofia had only gotten a few glimpses of the interior when she first came with her mother, but now that she was moving in, there were lines of servants all bowing to them as they walked by. It was a bit unnerving.

“I never imagined that I’d be living in the castle.” Sofia said to Amber, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but next to her. “This place is so big.”

“You’ll get used to it. The castle isn’t that impressive, though I imagine it is to someone like you.” Amber said.

“Amber,” James sighed. He looked to see if Sofia was offended, but she was too busy marveling at the massive hall she was exploring.

The walls were lined with intricate paintings of kings and queens of old, the windows were large and framed by purple velvet curtains tied back to allow the afternoon sunlight to shine through. But what was even more miraculous was the throne room.

Sofia had only been there once with her mother to see the king during that fateful encounter. The room was large, and at the center of the room was a large golden throne with a slightly smaller lavender throne next to it.

‘That’s where mom will be sitting.’ Sofia thought. Seeing her mother sitting on a throne as queen of Enchancia, it was still unbelievable to her. Then Sofia realized that another woman once sat there as well, Roland’s first wife.

“I wonder what happened to her.” She muttered. She heard footsteps and felt someone bump into her, almost knocking her over before she regained her balance.

“What…watch where you’re going!” Someone snapped.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean…” Sofia gasped as she saw it was Cedric who bumped into her. “Oh my gosh, you’re Mr. Ceedric, the royal magician!”

“It’s Cedric, Cedric Emrys, and I am a royal sorcerer, not magician. There’s a difference.” Said Cedric, who was fiddling a bit with his wand. “And you’re the princess Sofia.”

“Yup, that’s me.” Sofia said giddily. “I’ve never seen a real sorcerer before. That trick you did earlier was uh-mazing!”

“That “trick” as you call it was supposed to be a shower of flower petals, preferably daisies. It would’ve gone off without a hitch if this bloody wand would stop fighting me.” Cedric grumbled. “Besides, conjuring flower showers is not what I’m supposed to be doing anyway.”

“Well, what do you do?” Sofia asked.

“I solve the kingdom’s magical and supernatural problems. I should be slaying dragons, fighting ogres, stopping natural disasters, but instead, I’m performing parlor tricks to amuse the nobles!” Cedric growled and waved his wand arm in frustration.

Sofia watched worriedly as a bolt of energy flew from his wand and ricocheted off the walls three times before hitting him in the back. Cedric vanished in a puff of green smoke before her very eyes.

“Um, Mr. Ceedric?” Sofia called out. “Are you alright?”

“He’ll be fine.” Sofia jumped when she heard Dante standing right next to her. He looked at her with a sweet smile. “Cedric’s probably teleported himself to some part of the castle. It happens all the time.”

“O-Oh,” Sofia laughed nervously. “Right. I should probably get used to it, then.”

“Don’t worry, you will.” Dante said and gave her a low bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Princess Sofia. The name’s Dante Emrys, Cedric’s apprentice.”

“H-Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Sofia gave a little curtsey in return.

Dante looked different up close. His black hair, slightly unkempt, fell a little below his ears, and further down the back of his neck, given him a bit of a rugged appearance. His ears were slightly pointed, his skin a bit pale but not enough to look sickly, and his eyes…they had to be his more enticing feature. They were the deepest green she had ever seen on a person, and were like two emeralds. Sofia had to keep herself from staring so as to not embarrass herself.

“Ahem.”

Sofia and Dante looked up to see the castle steward standing there, hands behind his back, looking proper as ever.

“Hello, Princess Sofia, I am Baileywick, the castle steward. It’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly in the castle, and everybody gets to where they need to be on time.” He said and flipped out his pocket watch. “And you, princess, were supposed to be at dinner 30 seconds ago.”

“Sorry, Baileywick, I was just saying hi to the princess.” Dante said and gave Sofia a smile. “I know it’s a bit overwhelming for you, but know that if you need anything, just ask. Everyone’s here to help you.”

“Thank you very much, Dante.” Sofia said and quickly made her way to the dining hall.

“Such a sweet girl.” Dante said as he watched her walk away. “About time we got another girl around here to counter Amber’s viciousness.”

“Dante.” Baileywick scolded.

“What? The girl’s a demon,” He replied with a shrug. “I don’t have your immortal patience, Baileywick. Even I need a break from Amber every once in a while.”

“Even still, you shouldn’t antagonize the future queen.” The steward said. “You are to be her royal sorcerer after all.”

“Don’t remind me.” Dante said under his breath and trudged away, his mood a bit sour after that exchange. He really hoped that the new princess will liven things up around here, because he didn’t think he could stand another day with Amber.

XXXXXX

‘I thought Ruby was joking when she said that nobles have six kinds of forks and spoons for dinner.’ Sofia thought, biting her lip as she tried to discreetly figure out what fork to use to eat her dinner. It was a losing battle against hunger and the food looked really good.

“Sofia?”

“Ah!” Sofia dropped her three forks and nervously looked at Roland, trying to ignore Amber’s barely hidden eye roll. She smiled sheepishly and asked, “Y-Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Sofia, you don’t have to be so formal with me. You’re more than welcome to…call me father, now that we’re family.” Roland said softly, giving her a smile.

Sofia smiled back. “Yes, dad?”

“I wanted to inform you of the ball we will be having to celebrate you joining the family.”

“A ball? Oh Rollie, you shouldn’t have.” Miranda gushed.

“We’re having a ball? Sweet!” James grinned. “Sofia, you’ll love it!”

Amber didn’t look as pleased as her brother. “Why is she having a ball? Daddy, I want one too!”

“You and James already had a ball in your honor, during your first birthday.” Roland said, giving Amber a look. “Normally I only hold balls for special occasions, but I think having two new members to the family is a good enough reason.”

“A ball, wow, I…thank you.” Sofia said, unable to believe it. Then she realized something. “Um, what do I do at a ball?”

“Lots of things, there’s food, music, dancing, meeting all the nobles,” James listed off, practically inhaling his steak. “You know, the good stuff.”

“That’s a brief summary of what goes on at a ball, but James is right.” Roland laughed and held Sofia’s hand. “As a new princess, you and I will share the first dance.”

Sofia could practically hear the record player screeching to a halt in her head. “Dance?”

“Yes, our first dance together as father and daughter. Nothing too fancy, just a little waltz between you and me.”

Just a little waltz, he said it like it was nothing to be worried about. But Sofia wasn’t ready for a dance! She didn’t know how to dance, nor did she know how to even talk to nobles. She could barely tell what fork to use at dinner!

“The ball will be held within a week, so you should have enough time to get settled in and maybe even make a few friends.” Roland said, still smiling at her. “I don’t want to rush you through too many things at once.”

“That’s…that’s great, dad. I can’t wait.” Sofia said with a smile she certainly didn’t feel.

XXXXXX

After dinner, Baileywick escorted Sofia to her new room, which left Amber and James to get ready for bed. Amber spent the rest of the evening in a mood, having a deep scowl on her face even as she washed up and marched to her Tiara Room (yes, she has a room designated only for tiaras) so she could retrieve her nighttime tiara before getting ready for bed (Amber had a tiara for almost every occasion, one for every part of the day, one for picnics, one for holidays, and so on. A girl had to look fresh and sparkly whenever possible after all).

“The girl barely spends a day in the castle and fumbles her way into our family and she gets a ball? What is daddy thinking?” Amber growled under her breath. “As if marrying a commoner wasn’t bad enough…”

“Oh dear, someone’s upset.” A teasing voice said behind her.

Amber slowed to a stop, not at all surprised as she turned her head to glare at the young magician leaning against the wall next to her. He had his arms crossed and had on that infuriating smirk of his.

“It’s rude to sneak up on a lady when she’s alone, Dante.” Amber said, glaring at him. “You should know better.”

“Good thing you’re still a girl, then.” Dante remarked.

Amber had always taught herself to be ladylike, but being around Dante made her want to scream and strangle him. He was probably one of the few people in the kingdom who could match her wit aside from her friends.

“What do you want? I don’t have time to play your little wizard games.”

“Okay, first, the politically correct term is magician, and I just wanted to see you lose your cool for once. And boy I wasn’t disappointed.” Dante said.

“Good to know that you take pleasure in the suffering of your betters. Now leave me alone. Don’t you have your master’s messes to clean up?” Amber waved him off. “Go on, shoo.”

Amber went back to marching down the hall towards her room, but she didn’t get far before Dante hovered next to her, a magical cloud lifting him off the floor and easily matching her pace.

“Amber, seriously, are you really that mad at a widow and her girl? I know you’re petty, but this is a bit much, even for you.” He said.

“Don’t talk like you know how I’m feeling. We were just fine here in the castle, me, James and daddy, just the three of us. And now I have some shoemaker calling herself my mother, and that little brat who thinks she’s a princess because she wears a crown, ugh, the audacity!” She stomped her foot in frustration, not wanting to shout lest she attract unwanted attention.

Dante sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Amber, just think about someone else for once. Like your dad. Look at how happy he is. When has he looked so ecstatic before today?”

Amber pushed him aside and kept marching. “Daddy was happy when it was just the three of us. And don’t act like you know what I’m feeling just to cover for your new pretty plaything!”

The cloud under Dante’s feet slowly broke away, and he landed softly on the carpeted floor, now alone as Amber left him alone in the hall.

XXXXXX

“Oh my god…” Sofia gasped as she saw her new room for the first time.

The walls were bright pink, with a large bed that had probably over a dozen brightly colored pillows sitting on her, and her suitcase sat on the floor by a larger trunk. A mirror and dressing table were located next to her wardrobe, and there was even a little seat right next to the window!

“It’s so huge.” She breathed. This room had to be almost as big as the second floor of her old house.

“It’s just the standard princess suite.” Baileywick said, as if it were a completely normal thing to him. “We had it specially prepared for you as per your mother’s instructions. Everything you see here is the basic necessities for a young princess such as yourself.”

Sofia wandered over to a pair of doors by her bed and opened them, her eyes growing as wide as saucers at the sight of a huge closet full of sparkly dresses, from white to lavender to dark violet. It made her feel even more inadequate in the peasant’s dress she still wore.

“This is all for me?” She asked.

“Yes, princess.” He nodded. “And if you ever need anything at any time, just ring the bell and I’ll have Violet attend to you right away.”

“If I need anything, got it.” Sofia nodded. “Thank you, Baileywick.”

“You’re very welcome, princess.” Baileywick walked to the door and nodded to her. “Good night.”

“Good night.” She said as the doors closed.

Now that she was finally alone, she had the room all to herself. All alone, with just her thoughts for company. Just her…

“I can’t do this.” Sofia whined. All of her insecurities came crashing back down on her like a tidal wave and she felt a surge of anxiety hit her hard.

Just a few weeks ago she was a normal girl living alone with her mother, just living her life day by day as a village girl playing with her friends and helping her mother at their shoe-shop. Now here she was, the newest princess of Enchancia taken from her tiny house to live in a big, fancy castle, living out the dream that every girl in the world had at least once in their lives. But…it was just too much.

This room was too large for her, her closet had more clothes than she could use in a single lifetime, her bed had too many pillows, there was too much jewelry, too much perfume, the list goes on and on. All of this was for her and she had no idea how to deal with it.

“I’m not ready for any of this.” Sofia sighed and rubbed her face. As if things weren’t bad enough, tomorrow was her first day at Royal Prep. “I need to talk to mom.”

Keeping this bottled up inside her wasn’t going to do her any good. She needed someone to talk to before she went crazy from her own thoughts. Sofia got up from her bed and went to the door, opening the door only to nearly fall over a tiny form sitting in the doorway.

“Meow.”

“A cat?” Sofia blinked down at the small black cat that was sitting in front of her, staring up at her with dark green eyes. “Um, hello. Are you lost?”

The cat looked at her dryly, as if asking if she was really asking it that in her situation.

“Right, stupid question.” Sofia looked up and down the hallway, biting her lip as she tried to figure out where her mom’s room was. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find my parents’ room, do you?”

The cat gave another whine before getting up and running down the hall. It paused at the corner and looked back at her, as if asking her to follow. Sofia decided to take a chance and followed after the cat.

After a few minutes of turning down corners that all looked the same and passing by multiple suits of armor and expensive looking artworks, the cat (who had a phenomenal sense of direction) led Sofia to large set of doors that belonged to the royal suite where her parents were staying.

“You actually got me here. Thank you…” Sofia turned to the cat, only to find it gone, without a trace or sound. She stood there perplexed for a moment before the door opened and Miranda poked her head out.

“Sofia?”

“Hi, mom.” Sofia smiled weakly.

XXXXXX

Sofia sat with her mother on a red velvet couch in front of the fireplace. Miranda rubbed her daughter’s back soothingly as the girl sat slumped against the arm rest looking very distressed.

“Sofia, what’s wrong?” Miranda asked. “Are you feeling alright?”

“No, I’m…I don’t know, mom.” Sofia sighed. “It’s just that everything’s changed so much. I have a new room, a new home, new siblings that I barely even know, and now there’s going to be a ball that I have to dance at, but I don’t know how to dance and I’ll embarrass myself.”

“You won’t embarrass yourself, Sofia. You’ll do fine.” Miranda said.

“No, I’ll trip over my feet and everyone will laugh at me.” She replied, hiding her face in her arms.

“Sofia, no one would dare laugh at a princess.”

“Says who?” Sofia grumbled.

Miranda sighed and pulled her daughter in close. Sofia always tried hard to act dependable and mature around people that it was easy to forget that she was just a little girl in a strange, new world. She held Sofia’s cheeks and looked into her eyes, which were blue-green, the same as her father’s.

“Sofia, just try the best you can. You can’t please everybody, and you shouldn’t try to.” Miranda said. “If your dancing isn’t enough for all those dukes and duchesses, then that’s their problem. This is about you, not them.”

Sofia gave a little smile at her mother’s words of encouragement, but she still looked a bit unsure. Then Roland stepped up, holding something in his hands.

“Sofia, I want to give you something.” He said and held out a beautiful purple amulet that rested on a silver chain.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” Sofia said.

“It’s my gift to you, a little present to welcome you to the family.” Roland smiled and clasped the amulet to her neck. “Sofia, I know you’re scared and uncomfortable with how fast everything’s changing for you, but I want you to know that you don’t have to be scared around me. I’m not expecting you to adjust to things right away, but just know that I’m here for you, and so is Baileywick and everyone else in the castle. And I hope that you’ll accept me as your father, too.”

Sofia ran her fingers over the amulet, which felt warm in her hands. She smiled up at her new father. “I think you’re doing a good job already.”

Roland chuckled and held her small hands in his. “That’s good to hear. Now you better get some sleep. It’s getting late and you have school in the morning.”

“School?” She asked. Sofia hadn’t thought about school, with everything else going on.

“Royal Prep, it’s where every prince, princess and noble learns our royal ways. You’ll learn everything you need to learn as a princess, and that includes how to act at a ball,” Roland explained and smiled at her. “Which I am very much looking forward to.”

“Me too,” Sofia laughed and grasped Roland’s hands tighter. “Thank you!”

“You’ll do fine, Sofia.” Miranda hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I love you, Sofia.”

Sofia hugged her back, feeling better than ever. “I love you too, mom.”

XXXXXX

Little did Sofia know, that the moment she touched the amulet, her entire life changed forever. It would be the source of much joy, and much conflict, in her life. But she would not know this. For now, Sofia was just content with doing the best she could to be a princess and make her new family proud.


	2. Once Upon a Princess part 2

Chapter 2-Once Upon a Princess part 2

Sofia had slept better than she thought she would after returning from her room. That talk she had with her mom and…dad had given her

“Wakey, Wakey, Sofia.”

Sofia groaned as the morning sunlight shined on her face and she covered her head with her pillow. She felt something nudging her shoulder and she pushed the tiny hand away.

“Five more minutes, mom.” She sighed.

“I’m not your mother, sweetie, you’re too skinny to be of any relation to me.”

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Sofia’s eyes popped open and she saw the black cat from last night sitting on her bed, glaring at her with those big green eyes. Sofia screamed and nearly fell off her bed in shock.

“How did you get in here?” She demanded before realizing that she was talking to a cat. “Wait, why am I even asking you that? You can’t talk.”

“That’s what you think.” The snarky reply came from the cat’s mouth, and not from Sofia’s imagination.

Before anything else could be said, there was a knock at her door and Baileywick came in, hands behind his back, with Sofia’s handmaid following behind him. He was about to greet her when he saw the black cat sitting on the bed and quickly shooed it away.

“Shoo, shoo! Stop bothering the princess you fanatical feline!” Baileywick chased the cat out with a displeased huff. “Honestly, I must have a word with Dante about letting his pets run loose in the castle.”

“That cat was Dante’s?” Sofia asked. Not surprising, really, seeing how it matched his motif as a sorcerer’s apprentice.

“Yes, but that’s not important, princess.” Baileywick held up a beautiful light purple dress that was of similar design to Amber’s gown. “You have school today, remember?”

“School…right,” Sofia sighed. “Better get ready.”

XXXXXX

After getting washed up and having a quiet breakfast that consisted of Sofia trying to ignore Amber’s obvious glares, the royal children rushed off to the carriage that would take them to school. Sofia was hefting her backpack onto her shoulders when she heard a loud neigh and saw six winged horses pulling the carriage up to the castle.

“Whoa.” She gasped. Pegasi, real live pegasi. Is there anything that isn’t going to surprise her at this castle?

“Impressive, huh?”

“Wah!” Sofia jumped and turned to see Dante’s grinning face standing there. “Dante?”

“Morning, princess.” He saluted her. “Off to school?”

“Y-Yeah,” She nodded. Dante offered his arm and she politely took it as they walked to the carriage. “Are you coming too?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not.” Dante said in a tone that didn’t exactly convey that he was sad about that. “I’m a magician in training, so I learn the mystic arts from Cedric of the Pointy Nose. Royal Prep is more for royals and nobles, that kind of stuff.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I could use a friendly face at school.” Sofia said.

“Don’t worry, Sofia, you’ll do fine. Here’s a tidbit, the students love new shining things, and that includes new students.” Dante whispered with a grin.

“New shiny…things?” Sofia gulped.

“Have fun.” He laughed and helped her into the carriage.

Sofia sat next to Amber, right across from James, who was waving goodbye to Dante.

“Hey, Sofia.” James greeted her. “Ready for school?”

“Maybe?” Sofia hadn’t meant to make it sound like a question, but Dante’s words got her worried about whether or not she was going into a den of wolves. “So, how long does it take to get to Royal Prep?”

“Just a few minutes by flying coach.” James said. Sofia blinked at him.

“Wait, flying coach?”

The driver whipped the reins and the pegasi sped off, throwing Sofia back into her seat from the momentum. The pegasi unfurled their wings and flapped in tandem, while two more leather wings opened up from the side of the carriage. Soon the Pegasi took off and lifted the carriage after them. Sofia looked over the side and gaped at the aerial view of the entire castle as the carriage flew over it.

“Amazing, huh?” James grinned.

“It is.” Sofia agreed.

XXXXXX

As it turns out, Royal Prep was actually not that far from the Sofia’s hometown. The school was a large building that was painted an odd mix of red, green and blue. There were already dozens of flying coaches parked in front of the school, with young boys and girls talking and hanging out together.

As soon as their coach landed, Amber and James were already out and about, heading to meet with their friends. Sofia was left behind gaping at the school, and the large group of children in the schoolyard, some of whom were glancing at her curiously. She stood at the gates, unsure of what to do since she had no friends to talk with.

“Princess Sofia?”

“Oh!” Sofia jumped and looked behind her to see a tall woman standing there. “H-Hello!”

The woman was very pretty, clad in a sky blue dress with grey flowers along the length of it. Her face was round and had more than a few wrinkles, an obvious suggestion to her age, as was her starlight colored hair, but she held herself with pride and grace that made her seem younger. Sofia couldn’t help but admire her chocolate brown eyes that twinkled with kindness.

“I’m sorry to have startled you, dear.” She said, nodding to Sofia. “I’m Sophie Mandragora, the headmistress of this school. Welcome to the Royal Preparatory Academy, Princess Sofia.”

“Thank you!” Sofia gave a shaky curtsy. “Um, how do you know my name?”

“Your father contacted me and explained your situation. I know this is a bit step up from your old school, but fortunately you arrived just a few days after the start of the first semester. You didn’t miss much, really.”

Sophie led Sofia into the courtyard, where the students were already heading inside for morning classes.

“Royal Prep was built 57 years ago by Queen Esmerelda of Enchancia following the War of the Roses. It was meant to teach young boys and girls from all over the Tri-Kingdom Area in an effort to bring the three kingdoms closer together following that terrible conflict with Stygia and Nexal.” Sophie explained to Sofia as they walked through the main hallway. “Here you will learn not just how to act like a proper princess, but also about the wider world you will be involved in when you grow older. From geography to magic, and even about the faeries that populate our land, you’ll learn a lot of things in your three years here.”

“Does that include dancing?” Sofia asked. “Because my…King Roland’s throwing me a ball in a couple of days and I sort of need to learn how to dance.”

Sophie chuckled and patted the girl on the back. “Oh, Sofia, I’m afraid it takes more than just a few days to learn how to be a princess.”

Sophie guided Sofia to her classroom, where she immediately spotted Amber and James sitting near the front. She felt a little shy when all the children stared at her, but managed to eek out a little smile and a wave.

“Class, this is Sofia Pendragon.” Sophie said to the class. “She’s new to Royal Prep and will be joining the class from now on.”

“Good morning, Princess Sofia.”

“G-Good morning!” Sofia stammered. It was a bit jarring to see so many royals and nobles in one place that were her age. A good portion of the class looked like they weren’t even native to Enchancia!

“I hope you all make her feel welcome and safe, as is befitting of royalty, no matter where they come from.” Sophie told them.

The class erupted into excited chatters as Sofia was shown to her seat. The only one who didn’t seem very excited was Amber, who wasn’t liking the attention Sofia was getting.

XXXXXX

The morning came and went like a breeze and before long it was lunch and recess. All in all, it was a normal day for Amber, who relished in the usual attention she got from the other girls in her class. As one of the few princesses of Royal Prep, together with her best friends Hildegard and Clio, she was often the center of attention by nobles looking to “learn from the master” as it were. Or just gain her favor.

Everything would’ve been fine if it weren’t for Sofia constantly stealing the limelight. Half of the boys in class treated her as if she were made of fine china and the girls (the ones whose names she didn’t bother to know) flocked to her as if she were a new shiny toy to play with (cue Dante sneezing in the castle). This led to Amber standing to the side watching her _step_-sister chat with Zander, James’s best friend, hiding her scowl with her fan.

She saw a football land near her feet and skillfully stopped it in place with her heel. She saw James running up to her looking like he just ran a marathon (which was the usual case when he got riled up playing sports).

“Looking for this?” Amber kicked the ball up to him, which he caught perfectly.

“Thanks, Amber. Hey, you want to play with us?” James asked.

“James, you know I’m not an outdoors girl, so don’t bother.” Amber sighed. She tapped her chin and smirked as her eyes slid over to Sofia. “James, why don’t you go show our dear stepsister around? Maybe show her that new water fountain that was just installed last week.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea, Amber.” James smiled and ran over to Sofia. “Hey, Sofia!”

Amber flicked open her fan and hid her smirk. The fountain that the school had built in the playground was supposed to liven up the place, but it had been possessed by a water fae not long after it started spouting water. Headmistress Mandragora had asked that the students avoid the fountain until they could get rid of the faery. As luck would have it, James was busy fooling around in the bathroom to know that little detail.

She feigned ignorance as she kept a close eye on James and Sofia as they neared the fountain.

“Wow, is this a wishing fountain?” Sofia said excitedly as they walked up to it.

“I don’t think so. They just installed it last week.” James said, smiling at Sofia’s enthusiasm. “I think some of the other kids already tossed some coins into it.”

Sofia leaned over the fountain to look down into the water. “This is so cool. We’ve never had this back in Rosemary.”

Sofia saw her reflection in the clear water and smiled, but suddenly her reflection changed into a scowling woman’s face. Before she could react, water burst in her face, blasting her back off her feet and onto the grass. Sofia landed on her behind with a grunt, her dress completely soaked, as was everything else.

“Sofia!” James ran over to her and helped her up. “Sofia, are you okay?”

Sofia groaned, tugging at her soaking wet dress and flicking her wet hair out of her face. She felt the gazes of the other students on her, and even heard a couple of snickers from the older children. Her cheeks reddened and she picked up her water-laden skirts and ran back into the school.

“Sofia, wait!” James called out to her, but she was already inside. Zandar, his best friend, walked up to him with a disappointed look on his face.

“Way to treat your little sister, James.” He said.

“I didn’t know the fountain would do that.” James replied.

“Everyone knows, James. We were told to stay away from it on our first day.” Zandar shot back.

James could only sigh and hold his head in his hands. His father told him to make Sofia feel welcome and then he’d gone and done this. What a disaster!

XXXXXX

Sofia managed to get her dress somewhat dry, though sitting in class was a bit uncomfortable when her dress was still soggy and heavy from the lingering liquid. Her hair was a mess and hung over her face, and she couldn’t help but notice that some of the girls were quietly laughing at her, particularly the ones that hung around Amber.

The headmistress had explained that an undine, a water spirit had possessed the fountain and would attack anyone who would get too close to it. Sofia was lucky that she wasn’t seriously hurt, because undine were known to be rather vindictive and violent when their territory was trespassed (“I should rope that fountain off.” Sophie muttered with a frown).

It didn’t matter anyway. Once school was out, Sofia, Amber and James took the flying coach back to the castle, where the young princess ran back into the castle as fast as she could before James could say anything. He spotted Amber calmly walking out of the coach and glared at her.

“You knew that fountain was possessed, didn’t you?” He asked her.

“I have no idea what you mean, dear brother.” Amber said and strutted away in a satisfied gait.

Sofia briskly walked down the main hall and towards the stairs, almost crashing into someone who turned the corner.

“Watch where you’re…oh, Princess Sofia.” It was Cedric. The man looked down at her past his overly long nose with a thinly veiled look of distaste, but Sofia was too distraught to notice.

“Hi, Mr. Ceedric.” She greeted him sadly.

“It’s Cedric,” He replied dryly and took in her soggy appearance. “What happened to you? Rough first day at school?”

“You have no idea.” Sofia sighed.

“That’s a shame. Now if you don’t have anything important you need help with, I’ll just be gooooo…” Cedric’s words drawled as soon as he set eyes on the amulet sparkling around Sofia’s neck.

Sofia blinked up at him. “Uh, Mr. Ceedric?”

Cedric shook himself out of his stupor and straightened his back, trying to hide the smirk pulling at his lips. “Princess, why don’t you come back to my lair-I mean, workshop so I can properly fix your dress. If you walk around soaking wet like that, you’re bound to get a cold.”

“Thanks, Mr. Ceedric.” Sofia said, smiling softly.

Cedric grimaced but maintained his smile as he led Sofia back out of the castle towards his tower. Both sorcerer and princess were unaware of the crow sitting atop a stone gargoyle watching them walk away.

XXXXXX

Cedric’s workshop was located at the top of a tall, dark tower located right outside of the castle, far enough from the castle for some privacy, but close enough for Cedric to attend to royal matters in a heartbeat. It was certainly dark and cool, with an obscene amount of spiderwebs sitting in the corners, but to Sofia, this was amazing.

Cedric led her up the spiral staircase to the top, and quickly reached out to the stone gargoyle sitting on a perch by the door. He took out a dark grey key from the gargoyle’s toe and unlocked his door, escorting Sofia inside.

There were two levels to Cedric’s workshop; the lower level was full of bookcases and cabinets holding all kinds of powders and ingredients, as well as a number of odd looking beakers and instruments. A large tome sat open on the table near the bookcase. On the second level was what Sofia figured where Cedric and Dante slept, spotting what looked like a bed in one of the small rooms up top.

The place was dim, dark and gloomy, with only one window for light, but to Sofia it was magical.

“Welcome to my workshop, Princess Sofia.” Cedric said. A clap of his hands lit the candles and illuminated the dark chambers. “This is where the magic happens.”

“Oh my gosh,” Sofia breathed. “So you and Dante really live here?”

“Of course, Princess!” As if on cue, Dante leapt down from wherever he was hiding, making Cedric yelp in a totally manly manner. On his shoulder was a grumpy looking raven that looked like it wanted to be anywhere but here. “Cedric, take Wormwood before he tries to peck out my eyes. He’s been cawing like a baby bird since you left.”

“Probably because you didn’t feed him, Dante. Honestly, boy, you’re a hazard to all bird-kind.” Cedric took the crow from Dante and walked over to his desk. “He didn’t ruffle any feathers, did he, Wormy?”

Dante rolled his eyes and looked at Sofia, frowning at her disheveled state. “Rough first day, huh?”

“You could say that.” She said, looking down. “Mr. Ceedric is going to help dry me off.”

“It’s cool, I got it.” Dante did a hand motion and Sofia gasped when all the extra moisture on her body, from her hair to her dress, was absorbed right off her form. She watched amazed as the water gathered into an orb and at Dante’s command turned into a small flower before freezing solid. Dante grinned and held the flower out to her.

“For you, princess.”

“T-Thank you.” Sofia felt her cheeks warm up as she took the ice flower from him. Really, were all sorcerer apprentices this charming? “You’re really talented.”

“I had a good teacher.” Dante shrugged. “Despite looking like a scarecrow version of Olaf, he’s actually really skilled at what he does.”

“I heard that!” Cedric yelled at him.

“I know, but I’m saying it anyway!” Dante yelled back.

Sofia giggled at the interaction as Cedric came swaggering back from attending to his grumpy crow. Dante looked down at her amulet and his eyes sparkled.

“Is that a new shiny bauble I see? I knew you were going to be a hit with the boys, but not like this.” He teased.

Sofia blushed and clutched her amulet. “It’s a gift I got from the king. He gave it to me last night.”

“A gift? That’s sweet.” Dante smiled. “Though, it kind of looks familiar. I think I’ve seen that amulet somewhere before, in one of the books here.”

“Really?” She asked.

“My loathsome apprentice is right, Princess.” Cedric guided the two kids over to the open tome on the stand and pointed to an illustration of the very same amulet that was around Sofia’s neck.

“Hey, that looks just like my amulet.” Sofia pointed out.

“Well, I’ll be a dragon’s uncle. It is!” Cedric gasped dramatically. Dante rolled his eyes and nudged him in the ribs, making him grunt.

“The Amulet of Avalor,” Sofia read, running her fingers along the purple jewel. “So, does this mean my amulet is magical?”

“If it’s the real deal, then yes. The Amulet of Avalor is said to be able to grant wishes, but only for a soul that is pure of heart.” Cedric explained. “For anyone else, well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

Sofia looked at her amulet. “It doesn’t look magical.”

“Most magic items aren’t so obvious, but a master sorcerer such as myself can easily identify its power. I can take a look at it if you want.” Cedric said, looking at little too eager as he held his hand out. “I promise I’ll give it back.”

“But I promised the king to never take it off.” Sofia said.

“And we certainly don’t want to make the king angry by making his stepdaughter break her promise, Cedric.” Dante said, nudging Cedric aside. “Especially after you turned those roses into Red-Caps.”

Cedric gave his apprentice a glare and decided to let it go for now. Dante grinned at him as he led Sofia to the door.

“Well, princess, that’s it for the tour.” He said. “I know it’s hard being around royalty, but just hang in there. If you need anything, I’m happy to lend an ear.”

“Thanks, Dante.” Sofia said sweetly. “And…you’re welcome to just call me Sofia.”

“Very well, then.” Dante smiled. “See you tomorrow, Sofia.”

Sofia waved him goodbye as she went down the stairs looking happier than she had been going up them, and Dante shut the door closed. Locking the door, he glanced back at Cedric, who glared right back at him.

“Could you have been any more obvious, Cedric?” Dante growled. “You were giving off some serious stranger-danger vibes there.”

“Forgive me for wanting to obtain that bloody Amulet of Avalor, my very young apprentice.” Cedric said, crossing his arms. “It’s not as if a relic of untold magical power was right there for the taking.”

“Cedric, that amulet wouldn’t have worked for you anyway! It’s a Meruvian artifact, those things are dangerous.” Dante replied.

“Of course you would think that unlocking the amulet’s secrets is beyond my abilities.” Cedric grumbled, walking over to his work table. “It’s not as if I’m trying to help us get higher in the world of anything.”

“Merlin’s Mushrooms,” Dante ran his hands down his face. “Taking over the kingdom is just going to get us both killed. You think Madam Sullivan’s going to just let us usurp our king like that?”

Cedric hunched over his table, tuning out Dante’s words. Wormwood cawed beside him and he rubbed the little raven’s chin. “Dante, you’ll realize that everything I’m doing is for the both of us, whether you like it or not. We deserve that much.”

‘Or the amulet will give us exactly what we deserve.’ Dante thought, heading to his room.

XXXXXX

The black cat sat on the foot of Sofia’s bed looking at the sleeping girl. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as morning came over Enchancia, and the cat had been watching this strange girl sleep for a little over an hour now.

“Are you still spying on the girl, Mona?”

The cat lazily looked over to the window, where a large eagle sat, having sneaked in through the open window (unlocked courtesy of her feline friend). The eagle flew over to Sofia’s bed and perched herself on the headrest, barely giving the cat a glance.

“What’s so special about her that you’ll risk sneaking into her room for?” She asked.

“You wouldn’t understand, Rhea. It’s a Familiar thing.” Mona said, flicking her tail at the eagle. “My master is interested in this odd girl, and I find myself feeling the same.”

“Ah yes, the whole magician’s bond that you have with that rowdy boy of yours. I forgot that was a thing.” Rhea ruffled her feathers and looked back at the girl. “I think she’s waking up.”

“Finally. Try not to scare her, okay? She’s small but she screams like a banshee. And those creepy harlots are no joke.” Mona said, rubbing her ears. “The girl could give Amber a run for her money if she tries hard enough.”

“I’m not going to scream.” Sofia groaned, rubbing her eyes as she slowly woke up. As she opened her eyes, she woke up to find the black cat from yesterday staring her in the face.

“Good, because my ears hurt enough listening to Dante and Cedric bicker every day.” Mona quipped.

“AH!!!”

“Nya!!!”

Sofia hid under the covers while Mona jumped two feet in the air before landing in a heap on the floor. Rhea rolled her eyes at the pitiful sight.

“Didn’t you just say not to scare her?” Rhea said to Mona.

“Shut it, Hedwig! She caught me off guard.” Mona hissed.

Sofia peeked out from her covers to look at the two arguing animals with wide animals. They were arguing…and she understood them.

“You’re…you’re talking?” She said in disbelief.

Mona and Rhea paused in their shouting fest to look at Sofia, looking just as surprised as her.

“You understand us?” Rhea asked.

“That’s not possible.” Mona said.

“You’re a magician’s familiar and you think this is impossible?” Rhea chuckled. Mona glared at her and jumped back onto the bed.

“How can you understand us? Not even that bungling sorcerer can talk to animals, and he’s more experienced than Dante.” Mona said, eyes narrowed.

“I…” Sofia caught the sunlight glinting off her amulet and an idea came to mind. “Maybe…it’s my amulet. Mr. Ceedric said that’s it’s magical, and it is! I think it’s what’s allowing me to talk to you.”

“That’s great, girl, because you look like you need a lesson in how to survive the natural disaster that is Princess Amber.” Mona snickered. Rhea glared at her.

“Watch your mouth, furball.”

“What? You know I’m right.”

“Please stop fighting. It’s way too early for this.” Sofia said and looked at the two talking animals she suddenly befriended. “Um, who are you, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m Mona, Dante’s familiar.” Mona said. “Nice to finally see the princess he can’t get enough of in person.”

‘Can’t get enough of?’ Sofia thought, but filed that away for later. “What’s a familiar?”

“A magician’s animal assistant. Dante’s raised me since I was a wee little kitten, and I’ve been with him since he was a tiny boy turning origami cranes into real ones.” Mona smiled at her.

“Princess Sofia, I am Rhea,” The eagle flared out her wings, and Sofia marveled at how big they were. “Princess Amber’s beloved pet and protector.”

“Former pet,” Mona corrected. “Her Majesty tossed her out for a peacock.”

“The princess did not toss me out!” Rhea growled, but Mona wasn’t interested.

“Whatever, birdy. Go write a memoir about it.” She turned to Sofia. “Sorry for the rude awakening, Sofia, we were just curious about you. Not every day we get new faces in the castle.”

“That’s okay. I’m actually kind of glad to make new friends, animals or not.” Sofia smiled and scratched Mona’s chin. “Your fur’s so soft.”

Mona purred and pushed her head further into Sofia’s hand. Rhea shook her head and flapped her wings to get their attention.

“Princess, I should remind you that you have school today?” She said.

“School, right.” Sofia’s smile dimmed and she slipped out of bed to wash up.

“What’s the matter?” Mona asked. “Not excited?”

“Not really. My first day didn’t really end up as good as I wanted it to be.” Sofia said, grabbing a dress that matched the one she had on yesterday. “As if being the only girl in school to be born a commoner wasn’t bad enough, there’s so much I have to learn that girls like Amber already know by heart.”

“You are a princess of Enchancia, Sofia.” Rhea said. “Why should you care about what other people think?”

“I just want to fit in.” Sofia washed her face and brushed her teeth, giving her reflection a weary look. “I don’t want to end up a laughing stock at Royal Prep. I just want to be a good princess.”

“Well you can start by not bending over backwards for other people. Girls like Amber and her friends are not good role models for being a princess.” Mona hopped onto the table to look at Sofia directly. “You need to have some confidence in yourself, girl. A true princess holds her head up high and carries herself with dignity. You’re not going to get far if you care what every single person you meet thinks about you.”

“For once, the faulty feline is correct.” Rhea agreed. “You can’t please everyone, Sofia. So don’t try to. You’re just causing more trouble for yourself.”

“I can’t please everyone. Huh, sounds like something mom would say.” Sofia smiled softly.

“She’s a smart woman.” Mona grinned. “Now, go get dressed so you can show those stuffy princes and princesses what you’re made of!”

“Yeah…yeah, you’re right!” Sofia nodded, feeling reinvigorated. “What better way to show them I can be a princess too by proving them wrong!”

“That’s the spirit!” Rhea smiled.

“Go get ‘em girl!” Mona cheered.

Sofia ran off to get dressed, feeling ready to tackle the day ahead.

XXXXXX

Her second day at Royal Prep wasn’t as bad as the first, but that didn’t mean it was any easier. As the headmistress had said, she didn’t miss much since the year just started, but it was still difficult.

Many of the things that were taught in class, from how to address fellow royals and nobles (which included, but was not limited, to-hand waving, bowing and curtseys, proper greetings and etc) to knowledge of various customs and cultures throughout the Tri-Kingdom Area and beyond, were actually already taught to the children before starting Royal Prep. Private tutors and all that stuff that Amber and James already had, while Sofia was starting from the ground up.

Sofia was surprised at how back-breaking it was to do the perfect curtsey. Her lower back was aching after her teacher, Ms. Flora, made her repeat the same motions over and over for several minutes until she performed a decent curtsey. Trying to pour tea was difficult too with the top of the teapot constantly falling into her cup because she tipped the teapot too far.

But not all of it was bad. Many of the kids in her class were actually pretty welcoming. Whether that was because they were just being courteous for her sake she didn’t know, but it made her feel better about herself. Among them was James’s friend, Prince Zandar of Tangu. Talking with him had been especially interesting.

When school ended and the royal children went home, Sofia decided to roam the castle a bit to take her mind off the heavy princess training she was doing. The only thing that had done was bring attention to the servants hard at work putting up decorations for the upcoming ball that was being done for her.

Sofia went to the ballroom, which was already impressive on its own without anybody touching it up, and saw servants running everywhere on Baileywick’s orders, following the steward’s commands to the letter. It looked chaotic, but there was a method to this madness that Sofia had to be impressed about.

‘Baileywick really does know how to run a tight ship.’ Sofia thought.

“Sofia!” Miranda walked over to her daughter, somehow managing to dodge the heavy traffic of castle workers in the process. She gave Sofia a hug and smiled at her. “How was school?”

“It went better than yesterday, at least.” Sofia answered and sighed tiredly. “But there was so much to learn. I didn’t realize that being a princess was so much work.”

Miranda frowned at her little girl. Sofia really did look exhausted, and from what she’d seen, things weren’t going very smoothly between her and the Pendragon twins either. She looked like she needed a pick-me-up.

“Come with me,” She said, taking Sofia’s hand. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Sofia questioned.

XXXXXX

“Ruby! Jade!”

Sofia’s excited squeals were matched by her two best friends as they ran to hug each other. Seeing her friends sitting there in the garden made Sofia’s heart soar, and the fatigue brought about by the rough school day faded away as if it didn’t exist.

“I figured you could use some familiar faces to feel better.” Miranda said, smiling at the girls. “Do you like the surprise?”

“I love it, mom. Thank you!” Sofia laughed.

The three girls wasted no time in heading over to the table and helping themselves to some cookies and tea. It felt like ages since she last saw her friends. The lovable and quirky Ruby, and steadfast Jade. She finally felt like she was home again, and it felt wonderful.

“So, Sofia, how many dresses do you have?” Jade asked. “Ruby thinks you have twelve, but I said you’d have more.”

“Lots more.” Sofia said. “More than I can remember, actually.”

“How many tiaras do you have in reserve? I heard that Princess Amber has, like, over twenty tiaras in her collection.” Ruby said.

“I only have five. I don’t really need that many tiaras unless it’s for special occasions.” Sofia replied. She slowly raised her teapot and tried to pour herself a cut, but flinched when the top almost fell off again. “Oh darn.”

“Let me help you with that.” Sofia looked up and saw James standing there as he gently took the teapot from her. Sofia heard Ruby and Jade sigh like lovestruck maidens as they noticed the prince standing there.

“James,” Sofia said, her mood darkening. “What are you doing here?”

James winced at her tone and pulled at his collar. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I haven’t really been the best big brother to you and I wasn’t making you feel welcome at all.”

“Oh.” Sofia blinked. She wasn’t expecting an apology from him. He did seem sincere, too. “Apology accepted, then.”

“Let me make it up to you.” He said. “I heard that you’re trying to learn proper etiquette for the ball this week.”

“How did you know that?”

“Dante.”

“Oh yeah.” She muttered. “Then I’m all ears, James. I really want to at least get the basics down.”

“You can start by learning how to properly pour tea. Don’t worry, I’ve spilled my fair share of tea before I got the hang of it.” James winked at the girls, earning a giggle.

As they talked, they were unaware of another pair of ears listening in on their conversation. Amber, who had been taking a walk through the rose garden, had stumbled upon this little get-together, and she was already scowling at seeing her brother socialize with the village girls.

“Now we have peasants waltzing about like they own the place. Could we get any lower?” Amber grumbled angrily.

“Spying on your siblings, Amber? How uncouth of you!” Dante floated down on a fluffy white cloud and landed on his feet beside her. The young mage peeked over her shoulder to see Sofia and James laughing together with Jade and Ruby. It was refreshing to see Sofia finally let loose and have some fun. She had a pretty smile.

“I could say the same about you, Dante. Come to check up on your little obsession again?” She replied coolly.

“Just making sure one of my friends is doing alright. I am in service to the royal family and all.” Dante said smoothly, not rising to her bait. “And it looks like James is having a good time, too.”

“Whatever. She can try as hard as she can, but at the end of the day, she’s still just a peasant posing as a princess.” Amber said and pushed past Dante to walk away. Dante watched her walk away with a huff.

“Could’ve done without the arrogant alliteration, sister.” He muttered.

“I heard that!”

“I know and I don’t care!”

XXXXXX

It was finally the day of the ball. The thought alone was enough to keep Sofia up at night…almost. Mona and Rhea were rather adamant about making sure she got her beauty sleep. They were rather convincing when they wanted to be.

The quick little lessons James had given her yesterday actually helped her a lot at school. Spending some time with him actually felt nice, and it made her feel welcome in the castle for once. Sure Amber was cold as ever, but it didn’t hurt as much as it used to.

Slowly but surely Sofia began to feel more confident about herself, getting into the flow of things while there were still some stuff that she needed to get used to. But eventually she came upon the one daunting task that she needed to learn before the big ball-dancing.

It was the final class of the day, and she was going to be having her first dance lessons with the school’s dance teacher, Professor Peach. The classroom was basically just one large dance studio that was perfect for dancing. There was even, to Sofia’s amazement, a group of unmanned instruments that were enchanted to play music by themselves.

‘Okay, this is my moment of truth.’ Sofia thought determined. ‘I can do this.’

Sofia went to grab a pair of dancing shoes, but she was waylaid by Amber before she could even touch them.

“Sofia, don’t even think about touching those dirty, stinky shoes.” Amber cooed, handing a pair of beautiful blue high heels to her. “I reserved a pair for you. A pair befitting of a princess such as yourself.”

“Really? Thanks, Amber. That’s so sweet.” Sofia smiled.

“I know. Now hurry up and get ready. Class is about to start.” Amber shooed her off, trying to hide her smirk.

As soon as Sofia got her new shoes on, she joined the rest of the class as they gathered before Professor Peach, a lithe young woman with a full head of long, flowing blonde hair and clad in a rather gaudy pink dress that would make even Amber go blind with its brightness. Her sparkling blue eyes shined as she looked over the class.

“Welcome, children, to your first dance class of the year. My name is Professor Peach and I will be teaching you all not just how to waltz, but also a number of dances from not just Enchancia, but from all over the world!” Her voice was a bubbly as her appearance, but her enthusiasm was infectious. “Now I know we have a new student with us today, so we will go through the motions just to show her what a basic waltz is like. Partner up everyone!”

“Sof, you want to be my partner?” James asked.

“Of course.” She agreed.

Once everyone was partnered up, Professor Peach clapped her hands and the magical instruments started playing a soft tune as she guided the children through the steps.

“1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3…”

Sofia concentrated hard on the repeating rhythm, letting James lead her through it. They spun around in a small circle, careful not to bump into anybody. The longer they went on, Sofia started to feel more confident, and she sent James a big smile, which he returned.

However, that all changed when she felt a sharp tingle from her shoes. “Ah!” She started. “What’s…”

Suddenly Sofia’s feet started dancing wildly…without her control. She accidentally pushed James away from her and bowled into the other kids as her feet danced along the floor at speeds she wasn’t even capable of. Everyone gave her a wide berth as flailed out of control.

“I can’t stop!” She screamed. “Somebody help!”

Her magical shoes suddenly started doing rapid ballerina spins that sent her sailing across the floor like a spinning top, not stopping until she had spun right into the musical instruments (which had started playing a more fast-paced tune in tandem with her dancing).

“Sofia!” James ran over to Sofia, who lay in a crumpled heap of instruments, and helped her to her feet. “Are you okay?!”

“Ugh, I’m fine.” Sofia groaned, pushing the cello off her back. Glaring down at her shoes, she angrily tore them off and marched to get her own shoes. But not before throwing Amber a glare.

A glare that James definitely caught, and he gave one of his own at his smirking sister.

XXXXXX

Sofia was the first one off the coach when they returned home. She ignored James calling out to her and made her way through the castle and outside into the garden. She was too mad to really talk to anyone now and she just wanted to be alone.

“Uh oh, someone’s angry.” Purred Mona, who was resting by a rose bush near the entrance. “What happened?”

“Amber happened.” Sofia answered, crossing her arms. “She messed up my dancing lessons and made me look silly in front of the entire class!”

“She really must not like you if she’s still trying to gut you like this.” Mona noted and rubbed her body against Sofia’s leg. “Settle down, kitten, before you bust a blood vessel. It’ll be alright.”

“No, it won’t. I have only one day to learn how to dance and I’ve got no one to teach me.” she sighed and reached down to pick up Mona. “I’m doomed, Mona.”

“Sofia?”

She spun around and saw Dante walking into the garden, looking a bit concerned. “Dante! What are you doing here?”

“Looking for Mona, who ran off while I was helping Cedric with the ballroom decorations.” He gave the cat a glare, which Mona returned with a grin before jumping out of Sofia’s arms and scampering off. “You don’t look very happy. Let me guess, Amber?”

“How did you know?” She asked.

“James told me. He looked rather peeved himself. Amber must really feel threatened by you if she went this far.” Dante said. “However, all is not lost Sofia. For I have an idea that may help you with your little problem.”

“You do?” She asked hesitantly. “What is it?”

“I teach you how to dance.” He said.

Sofia blinked at him as she processed his words. “You…teach me how to dance?”

“Yup.” He nodded.

“Do you even know how to dance?”

“Of course. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but Amber often used me as her test dummy for her own dancing lessons. The steps got ingrained into my very being and now I’m stuck with dancing lessons I barely use…until now.” Dante smirked and held out his hand. “Shall we dance?”

Sofia cautiously took Dante’s hand and he showed her where to place her hands. She blushed a bit when he put a hand on her waist, but forced herself to pay attention to the movements he made. They swayed back and forth to music they couldn’t hear, and after a few minutes Sofia started to get into the rhythm. It was a slow waltz, nothing fancy or complicated, just good enough to ease her agitation from what happened at school.

“See? It’s not so hard. King Roland won’t drag you into some big, fancy waltz, he’s just going to have a little dance with his new daughter.” Dante told her. “He knows you’re not up to the big stuff yet.”

“Oh, yeah I knew that.” Sofia said, a bit embarrassed because that was exactly what she was thinking.

As Sofia and Dante lost themselves to their little dance, they slowly moved through the garden, stuck in their own little world. Dante led the dance, and Sofia trusted him enough to let him spin her around, twirl her, hold her close. She felt like the fair Aurora, dancing with her prince in the middle of the forest, unaware of each other’s true identities.

They danced in silence a bit more before Sofia asked, “Dante…forgive me for asking this but…is Amber always like this?”

“No, she wasn’t always this vicious to other people. When we were little she was actually a sweet girl. A bit obsessed with her looks, but nothing serious. Then a couple of years ago she started to get more…I don’t know, haughty and selfish. Honestly, I think it’s because she didn’t have a mother in her life to look up to, and instead paid attention to those harpies in court.” Dante’s face darkened as he thought about how their relationship deteriorated over time. “She was bossy enough at six, and when she turned ten she started having temper tantrums when she didn’t get her way. The servants started to get wary of her, and she treated anyone who wasn’t either a royal or a noble like an afterthought. I’m one of the few children capable of standing up to her and she doesn’t like that at all. Hence the back and forth arguments we have.”

Another expression fell across his face, one that didn’t look like it fit for a person as bright and whimsical as him. He looked sad, and that looked alien to Sofia. “You sound sad.”

“Despite what many people think, I don’t like arguing with Amber. Sure, I say things to rile her up for a laugh, but fighting with her over everything she does is getting tiresome. We grew up together, she and James are like family to me. Seeing her treat people like you like they’re trash is hard to swallow.”

Sofia could only imagine how it must have felt for him. It was hard to imagine someone like Amber being a sweet little girl, but as Dante said, he knew her far longer than she did.

They danced for a little bit longer before Dante decided to end their short lesson.

“Thank you for helping me, Dante. You’ve been a big help.” Sofia said.

“Just helping out a friend in need.” Dante said, smiling. “Just remember to stay calm and don’t panic. Just flow with the music. Don’t force it.”

“Got it.” She nodded.

They stood there, hands still clasped together, though Sofia broke the hold with a nervous laugh and a small “sorry” to him.

“Will you be at the ball tonight?” She asked.

“Possibly, though I might be late seeing as I’ve got to convince Cedric to drag himself to the ballroom.” He joked. “But I’ll be there all the same, rooting for you.”

Sofia nodded and quickly made her way back inside to get ready for the ball, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

XXXXXX

As night fell, all the nobles of the Enchancian Royal Court arrived to attend the ball held in honor of Princess Sofia Pendragon, the peasant turned princess. The king, his queen, and his children were all going to be getting ready for the big night, and thanks to Baileywick, everything was going smoothly.

“You look lovely, Princess.”

“You’ll be the Belle of the ball!”

“I know.” Amber said happily as her maids did some finishing touches on her dark indigo and gold ball gown. White opera gloves covered her dainty hands and matched the pretty diamond earrings and tiara she wore for occasions such as these. Not that she was going out of her way to make herself look good for a ball thrown for her stepsister, but she had an image to maintain.

“Amber.”

James appeared in her doorway, clad in his rather dashing dark red and gold suit, though he had a rather ugly look on his face.

“James.” She greeted him, not looking away from her reflection.

“Can I speak to my sister privately please?” James asked the maids. They nodded and immediately left the room to leave the twins alone.

“What’s the matter, James? You’re usually happy to be at a party like this.” Amber pointed out.

“You gave those faulty shoes to Sofia on purpose, didn’t you?” James demanded.

“I have no idea what you mean.” She replied with a frown. “And from what I understand, you showed Sofia that possessed water fountain.”

“On your suggestion. I’ve made a mistake and I apologized for it to her face.” James shook his head and glared at his sister. “I started to wonder why you’re so hostile towards Sofia, and now I’m starting to realize why you’re doing all this.”

“Because she doesn’t belong here?” Amber said.

“No, because she’s better than you. She’s sweet, she’s kind, she forgiving. Sofia’s everything you’re not, and in a good way.” James replied. “You’re just jealous because you’re not the center of attention anymore. That no one wants to be around you because of Sofia. And honestly, I feel the same way.”

Amber felt a sharp pang in her chest at his words. She looked at him in the mirror, her eyes narrowed. “Y-You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I do.” With that, James turned and marched out of her room.

“James, wait!” Amber got up to run after him, but part of her dress got caught on her chair. She angrily yanked the hem of her dress free, but gasped when she heard a loud rip. “My dress!”

A long tear could be seen on her skirt, large enough to be noticeable. Amber growled and reached for the rope beside her bed to call her maids back.

“Suzette, Hannah!” She yelled. When no one came, Amber bit back a cry and ran out of her room. “Where are you? My dress is-“

She paused near an open door where she could hear her maids’ voices inside. She scowled and went to burst in and demand that they help her fix her dress when she heard them call out a name.

“You look absolutely amazing, Princess Sofia!”

“Thanks,” There was that cute little giggle that Amber loathed. “But I’m sure I don’t look that good.”

“Nonsense, Princess, you look stunning. I’d say you’ll be the most beautiful princess at the ball.”

‘So even the servants are leaving me for her.’ Amber thought. She felt tears form in her ears but she stubbornly wiped them away. ‘First daddy, then Dante, and James…they all love her more than me!’

Unable to stop the flow of tears from running down her cheeks, Amber ran back to her room and slammed the door shut behind her, feeling more alone than she had ever felt before.

XXXXXX

“Looking good, Sofia.” Mona praised from her resting place at the foot of Sofia’s bed. “You really know how to choose ‘em.”

Sofia smiled, giving a little twirl in her new dress. It was a sparkly ball gown that was light purple, hugging her torso and leaving her shoulders bare while complimenting her amulet. Tiny little diamonds glittered along the length of her skirt and look like stars under the candle-light of her room. Her silver tiara, studded with amethyst stones, sat atop her head, looking absolutely beautiful.

“I never thought I’d be wearing something so beautiful in my life.” Sofia whispered, running a hand down her dress. She only wore a light coating of makeup, some blush on her cheeks and faint lipstick to bring out her features a bit, but that was all she used.

“You better get going.” Mona urged her. “The ball’s about to start.”

“Yeah, don’t want to be late to my own party.” Sofia checked herself over one last time before hurrying to the door as fast as she could in her shoes (she was still getting used to wearing high-heels). However, as she opened the door, Rhea flew in, nearly crashing into her. “Oh!”

“Rhea, watch where you’re flying, bird-brain!” Mona scolded. “You almost took out the girl’s eye!”

“Sorry, Sofia, I am a bit distraught at the moment.” Rhea said, landing on the dressing table. “Sofia, I need your help.”

“What’s wrong, Rhea?” Sofia asked, running a finger down Rhea’s soft feathered back.

“It’s Amber, she’s…not doing very well.” Rhea said hesitantly.

“What, did she wear the wrong shoes to go with her dress?” Mona snickered.

“Mona, please.” Sofia scolded and looked back to Rhea. “What’s wrong with Amber?”

“I don’t know. She and James had an argument and she ran out of her room, only to run back inside and started crying.” Rhea looked stricken as she thought of Amber’s cries. Despite having been replaced as the girl’s pet, she still cared for Amber and it hurt seeing her so sad. “Please, Sofia, I know Amber has done a lot of terrible things to you, but could you help her? I don’t like seeing her like this.”

Part of Sofia wanted to be petty and refuse, pay Amber back for making her first week at the castle hell, but her mother raised her better than that. Sofia was never a vindictive child, and she wasn’t going to start being as such tonight. And this might be her best chance to speak to Amber face to face.

“I still have time before the ball starts,” Sofia said and gave Rhea a small smile. “I’ll go see what’s up with Amber.”

Rhea smiled, eyes watering as she rubbed her head against Sofia’s cheek. “Thank you, Sofia. You’re too kind.”

“You really _are_ too kind.” Mona muttered.

XXXXXX

When Sofia went to Amber’s room, the door was cracked open, but she couldn’t hear any crying. She knocked once on the door.

“Go away.”

Sofia bit her lip and hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Amber’s room was a lot different than Sofia’s; it was pale white, with a larger bed and a vastly bigger closet. There was a kind of elegance to the décor that surpassed Sofia’s own sort of childish room and it made her feel a bit silly for having bright pink walls.

Amber was sitting on her bed, still clad in her rather gorgeous blue dress but looked really sad. Her eyes were definitely red from crying, and sitting there she looked kind of…lonely.

Amber saw Sofia standing in the doorway and frowned, turning away from her. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to check up on you.” Sofia answered honestly. “Someone said that they heard crying coming from your room and I came to see if you were alright.”

“As you can see, I’m doing just fine. Now go and have your silly little party. It’s rude to keep the king waiting.” Amber sneered.

Sofia took a deep breath to calm herself. “Amber, what’s your problem with me? What did I do to make you hate me so much?”

“What’s your problem? Everything about you is my problem!” Amber jumped off her bed and got up in Sofia’s face. “We were doing just fine before you and your mother came here. Daddy had me and James to keep him happy, but then your mother just had to waltz in and enchant him with that stupid smile of hers. Then you come along and everybody suddenly wants to be your friend. Daddy, James, Dante, even the kids at school all want to be around the new shiny princess while they toss me aside like yesterday’s trash!”

Sofia took a step back from Amber’s hostility. She hadn’t realized that she was stealing the spotlight from Amber that much. Then, as fast as it appeared, Amber’s rage faded until her shoulders slumped in a most unladylike manner.

“But even after everything I did to you, you still have that same smile on your face, like everything’s going to be alright. Well, you win.” Amber spun around and plopped down face first onto her bed. “Everyone loves you now, and no one wants to be around me anymore. Not daddy, not Dante, not even my own brother.”

“That’s not true.” Sofia said. “Everyone’s not abandoning you for me.”

“Don’t try to make me feel better.”

“I mean it. Everyone loves you here and at school. You’re the princess of Enchancia, the most popular girl at Royal Prep. I’m just the new shiny toy that everyone wants to get a glimpse of for a while.”

Amber lifted her head and raised a delicate eyebrow at Sofia. “Did Dante say that to you?”

Sofia smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, that’s how he described it on my first day.”

“Funny…he said the same thing to me too.” Amber muttered.

Sofia rubbed her arm, hoping that what she said next could be the deciding blow to break through Amber’s walls. “Dante said that he doesn’t like fighting with you all the time. He told me that he wanted to go back to when you two had a strong friendship.”

She walked over to the bed and sat next to Amber, reaching out to grab her hand. “And…I would like to have that kind of friendship with you too.”

For a good minute Sofia thought Amber would throw her hand off, but to her surprise and relief, she didn’t. Amber actually seemed to be listening to her.

“I know you’ve lost your mother before you’ve even known her. I’ve lost my father when I was very young. My mom and your dad have a second chance to have a complete family of their own…and we can have that second chance too.” She said, gripping Amber’s hand tightly. “But only if we take that first step forward.”

Amber looked up at Sofia with an expression that, for once, wasn’t one of scorn or loathing. She looked away and gripped Sofia’s hand back.

“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a sister to talk to.” Sofia confessed.

“I’ve...also wondered what it’d be like to have a sister of my own. Someone to laugh at James with me.” Amber admitted. “Being around so many boys in the castle is a bit tiresome.”

“I can imagine.” Sofia smiled.

“…All right, I’ll give this little arrangement a chance.” Amber sighed and sat up, still holding Sofia’s hand. “It might be fun to have another sister to teach the ins and outs of being a princess.”

“And maybe I can even teach you a thing or two.” Sofia said coyly.

“Don’t push it.” Amber poked Sofia’s cheek with a grin. “We better get moving before Baileywick comes hunting for us. Oh…”

Amber looked down at the rip in her dress and groaned. “There’s no way I can change in time for the ball.”

“That’s okay. I can fix this easily.” Sofia chirped and ran off to get a sewing kit. “You pick up a couple of things as a shoemaker.”

Amber smiled at the girl as she immediately got to work on sewing up the tear in her skirt. “Thank you, Sofia.”

XXXXXX

“Presenting Princess Sofia Pendragon!”

Trumpets bellowed in the castle ballroom as Sofia stepped out into the light in her new purple dress. The crowd applauded her, and she saw her family down by the stairs smiling up at her-her mother, father, brother…and sister.

Sofia descended the stairs and reached the bottom, where King Roland awaited her, looking very eager. He took her hand in his larger one and led her to the middle of the floor. As they took their positions, the music began, and they started to dance.

‘Flow with the music. Let your partner lead, and don’t force it.’ Those were Amber’s words, which were, once again, borrowed from Dante. Feeling more confident than ever, Sofia gave Roland a big smile as he twirled her around and flowed with the motions, and that was when she spotted Dante in the crowd, giving her a thumbs up as they passed by him. It was all going so smoothly, until…

“Ow!” Sofia hissed as Roland stepped on her toe.

“Sorry, I’m not a very good dancer.” Roland apologized, looking a bit embarrassed. “It was one of the things I couldn’t grasp during my time at Royal Prep. But you certainly don’t have my bad luck. You dance beautifully, Sofia.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty-I mean, dad.” Sofia giggled.

Roland’s face lit up like a Wassailia tree and Sofia realized where James got his bright smile from.

On the sidelines, Miranda watched with a happy smile as her husband and daughter shared their first dance. It felt like all was right with the world now that Sofia looked like the happy little girl she used to be back at Rosemary.

“Mom?” James walked up to her with his wide grin and gave her a bow. “Would you like to dance with me?”

“Of course, James.” Miranda chuckled and let her son lead her out onto the dancefloor to begin their own little waltz.

It was a peculiar sight to see. Father and daughter, mother and son, dancing together in an odd little pattern that was both cute and endearing to see. It was made even more peculiar when the little Princess Sofia invited Amber to dance with her and their father.

It felt like ages since King Roland looked so happy, not since the passing of the fair Queen Lorelai. For Miranda, she had never expected to have been fortunate enough to gain a second chance at finding true love. As for Sofia, Amber and James…they each regained what they had lost. A father and a mother respectively.

Ordinarily, this would be considered a happy ending, but this was different. This was a happy beginning.


	3. The Black Pegasus

Chapter 3-The Black Pegasus

Flying Derby was one of Sofia’s favorite sports. Growing up, she’d hear about famous pegasi riders from all over the kingdom coming to the Rosemary race track for a couple of races. Of course, Sofia had never been to one before, but she loved hearing from the adults in her town about the different kinds of pegasi flying through the air with the grace of a bird.

In the past few weeks she had taken the Royal Coach to get to school, it never crossed Sofia’s mind that she’d get the chance to go to an actual Flying Derby race.

“Sofia, settle down or you’ll wear a hole in your seat.” Miranda laughed.

Sofia stopped bouncing in place and settled for wiggling like a worm in her excitement. “I’m sorry, mom, but I’m just so excited! We’ve never been to a Flying Derby race in person!”

“You’ve never been to a race before?” Roland asked, looking a bit surprised.

“We’ve never had the time…or the money for tickets.” Miranda said. “Sofia had to go on stories that the townspeople would tell about the racers. She’d ride a mop around pretending it was a pegasus when she was little.”

“Mom,” Sofia whined, blushing. “That was just a phase.”

“Well there won’t be any mops at this race, Sofia. You’re about to see some of the best racers in the kingdom.” James said. “In fact, we’d already be there if Amber didn’t keep us waiting for fifteen minutes.”

“I was looking for by Derby Tiara.” Amber replied, adjusting the sparkling adornment with a smile. “It’s only proper to have a tiara for every occasion. A princess-“

“Is always prepared.” Sofia finished with a smile. Amber grinned at her and poked her cheek, making her giggle.

It had only been a few weeks since she arrived at the castle, and after her first ball it seemed like everything had changed for Sofia. Her relationship with Amber seemed like it was stronger than ever, with the older girl doting upon her while teaching her the ins and outs of royalty.

Thankfully, with the coach taking the flight route to reach the stadium, the royal family made it in time for the racers to make their first rounds before the official start. Sofia was the first one to her seat, and she had the best seat in the entire stadium, sitting in the royal balcony where she could see everything.

“We made it.” Sofia whispered excitedly. “The race is just starting!”

The crowd cheered as the racers burst out onto the track, their pegasi shooting forward faster than Sofia had ever seen them move before. They sailed through the obstacles, dived through oddly shaped hoops, and flew with speed and grace you wouldn’t normally see with creatures that big.

“Look at them go.” Sofia gasped.

“You know, Sofia, Royal Prep has its own junior Flying Derby team.” James said.

“Really?” She smiled. James nodded.

“They’re having tryout races next week, and everyone’s signing up tomorrow.” James explained.

“That sounds fun.” Sofia said. “Are you trying out, James?”

“Yup. It’s one of the first things I’ve wanted to do since coming to Royal Prep.” James grinned. “I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”

“I’m coming along, too.” Amber said, checking out her reflection. “Hugo’s going to be trying out as well, and he’s one of the best riders in our age group.”

“I’m a good rider too.” James pouted.

“James, you can barely stay on an actual horse, let alone a pegasus.” Amber countered, rolling her eyes.

“There’s a first time for everything.” He replied.

The racers had finished their final lap, with the red racer on his pristine white pegasus flying over the finish line like an arrow. The crowd roared and Sofia jumped to her feet, clapping happily.

“It must be so fun flying a pegasus like that.” Sofia sighed.

“Why don’t you come with us to tryouts tomorrow?” Amber suggested. “You’ll get to see the pegasi up close.”

“Tryouts,” Sofia smiled and nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

XXXXXX

The next day after school, the Pendragon children went straight to the stables where the school’s pegasi were being held. There they met up with Amber’s two friends, Princess Hildegard and Princess Clio.

While her brother and sister were more interested in the pegasi, Amber was busy hunting for something she considered equally interesting.

“Oh Hugo!” She called out in a sing-song voice.

Hugo was the second son of a noble family from one of Enchancia’s largest provinces. Even as a boy he had the appearance of a dashing young lad, well-groomed black hair, a strong physique, a strong voice, and a good confidence in himself that bordered on arrogant. As soon as he saw Amber he smirked and gave her a low bow as she approached him.

“Princess Amber, what a pleasant surprise to see you here.” Hugo said, crossing his arms. “Come to see the tryouts?”

“I just came to cheer you on.” Amber said, trying not to seem too eager. “I’m your biggest fan, you know.”

With one expert flick of the wrist, she opened her fan, which had Hugo’s picture in the middle. Never say that Amber doesn’t come prepared for a situation.

“You must be if you came to see me ace the tryouts. Sir Gillium’s just keeping my spot warm for me.” Hugo grinned, feeling very confident in himself with the princess backing him up. “Just sit back and enjoy the show, princess.”

“Oh brother.” James rolled his eyes, making Sofia giggle.

“All right, young lads, gather round!”

The boys assembled in front of Sir Gillium, a heavyset man who used to be a Flying Derby ace in his younger years, but now handled the management and breeding of racing Pegasi in not just the school stables but also for the Royal Army. There was nothing he didn’t know about pegasi, and anyone who knew anything about Flying Derby was excited to be training with him.

“Hello, James.” Hugo smirked at James. “Come to wow us all with your expert riding skills?”

“Try smack talking me when we actually start practicing, Hugo.” James replied. “I’m just as good as you.”

“That’s not what your sister says.” Hugo sang, laughing.

“All right boys, I want to welcome you all to the tryouts for the Royal Prep Junior Flying Derby team. The tryout race for the two spots on the team will be held first thing next week, so you lads have every day after school to practice for the event.” Sir Gillium said to the eager young boys. “I don’t think I need to tell you that the first two racers over the finish line will make the team, and become Royal Prep’s primary Flying Derby Team.”

‘That’s going to be me.’ Hugo and James thought at the same time.

The rowdy chatter of the boys was cut short when Sofia walked up to the group, her bright smile on her face as she waved to the coach.

“Hello, Sir Gillium!” Sofia greeted him.

“Princess Sofia,” Sir Gillium nodded to her. “Have you come to watch the practice races?”

“No, I came to sign up.” She said.

The silence that followed that statement was so abrupt that Sofia almost missed it, had it not been for everyone’s shocked faces. She looked around at the other kids, wincing at the scandalized looks from Amber and her friends, and twiddled her fingers nervously.

“Um, what’s wrong?” She asked slowly. Hugo shook his head and walked up to her.

“Princess Sofia, since you’re obviously…new here, I’ going to make this as clear as possible for you.” He said and leaned in close. “Princesses don’t race in Flying Derby.”

“Excuse me?” Sofia exclaimed. She looked up at Sir Gillium. “So I can’t sign up for tryouts?”

“W-Well, there’s no rule, princess.” Sir Gillium stammered, clearly out of his element here.

“Oh, Sofia, what Hugo means is that riding pegasi is not what princesses do.” Amber said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You see, in royal society, everyone has things that they’re meant to do, for instance, we princesses and ladies are better suited for lady-like things, such as hosting tea parties.”

“And picking out new dresses.” Clio said.

“And decking out our fans with royal bling.” Hildegard grinned, fluttering her royal blue fan that was studded with sapphires.

“And we princes are meant to handle the rough stuff that’s certainly not suitable for girls.” Hugo said with an almost impeccable sneer. “We’re the ones who ride horses, climb trees, fight monsters, and save fair maidens.”

“A princess can do that too.” Sofia said defensively.

“When has a princess done anything of the sort?” Hugo smirked.

“Princess Boudicca of Airlann.”

Hugo, not expecting Sofia to have answered that question so quickly, took a moment to form an answer, which was a bit weak in his defense. “Well, that’s how we do things here.”

Amber noticed her sister’s souring mood and escorted Sofia away from the pegasi stables. “Come along, Sofia, I’ll explain more about it on the way home. I know this is all new to you, but that’s just how things are.”

‘Well I don’t like it.’ Sofia thought bitterly.

XXXXXX

“Hey, Sofia.” Mona drawled as Sofia entered her room. The cat was sprawled out on one of the many red velvet pillows laid out for her on the floor by Sofia’s bed. “How was school?”

“It was okay.” Sofia shrugged, tossing her bag onto the bed. “They’re having Flying Derby tryouts at the school.”

“Flying Derby, ah yes, that sport.” Rhea, who was sitting on the window seat, nodded her long head. “Rather chaotic for a couple of children to partake in. Don’t tell me you’re planning to join those races.”

“I want to try out, but everyone said that I couldn’t.” Sofia sighed.

Mona raised her head. “Why’s that? You’re too young?”

“No, it’s because I’m a princess.”

Mona and Rhea shared a look before the cat jumped onto the bed and looked at Sofia. “That’s honestly the most garbage reason I’ve ever heard in my nine lives.”

“Yes, that’s quite the preposterous reason to exclude a girl.” Rhea agreed. “Don’t tell me that’s actually a rule they have written down.”

“It’s not, but that’s what everyone thinks. Boys have their hobbies, girls have theirs. That’s what Amber said.” Sofia explained.

“Amber is hardly one to be taking advice from.” Mona snorted. “But Sofia, if there’s no concrete rule that keeps you from entering, then they can’t stop you.”

“I guess,” Sofia said, unsure. “But, there’s never been a princess in the entirety of Flying Derby before.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” Mona smiled. “Come on, girl, if this goes through, you’ll be making history.”

Sofia bit her lip and mulled it over in her head for a little bit. She really did want to try out, and despite what everyone said, there was nothing legally keeping her from practicing. They couldn’t stop her from doing what she wanted, despite what they thought of her decision.

XXXXXX

That evening, as the family were having dinner, the topic of Flying Derby tryouts came up, which led to the inevitable declaration made by the ever-courageous Princess Sofia.

“Everyone, I have an announcement!” Sofia said. “I’m going to be trying out for the Flying Derby team!”

The reactions she got were varied. Amber of course wasn’t very pleased, and neither did James, though for entirely different reasons. Roland looked very surprised, but Miranda just looked happy for her little girl.

“That’s great, Sofia.” Miranda said. “Looks like you’ll be able to make your dream come true after all.”

“Sofia, we’ve talked about this.” Amber hissed. “Princesses don’t fly pegasi nor do they race.”

“Says who?” Sofia replied happily. “I’m free to try out if I want to. There’s a first time for everything.”

“Sofia’s right, Amber. Sofia’s welcome to try Flying Derby if she wants to, regardless of what other people think.” Miranda smiled at Sofia. “I think it’ll be wonderful for you and James, right Rollie?”

Miranda nudged Roland, who came out of his shock and cleared his throat. “Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea. You might even set the standard yourself, Sofia.”

“But Sofia doesn’t know how to ride a pegasus.” James protested. “She doesn’t even know how to ride a horse.”

“Then someone will have to teach her.” Roland raised a brow at his son. “Someone like her older brother.”

“But…” James wasn’t totally adverse to teaching Sofia, but the boys at school weren’t the caring type. “What would the other boys say about that?”

“They’d be too busy laughing to care.” Amber grinned.

“They’d say how you’re such a good brother to be helping out his sister.” Miranda reached over and ruffled James’s hair. “Besides, you could use the extra practice.”

“I guess,” James sighed. “But what about her riding clothes?”

“I can have that arranged.” Baileywick pipped up, patting Sofia’s hand. “She’ll have her ensemble ready by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Baileywick.” Sofia smiled.

This was actually happening. Tomorrow afternoon she’ll be able to ride her very own pegasus! The very thought had Sofia grinning like a fool all the way up till bedtime. And even when she was asleep, she dreamt of riding flying horses through the sky.

XXXXXX

The next day afterschool, as soon as her last class ended, Sofia rushed to get changed into her brand new riding gear. It was form-fitting and snug, fitting her just right and looking rather fashionable at the same time (even Amber had to admit that). As James had already went to get his pegasus, Sofia was the last one to get hers.

“Good afternoon, Sir Gillium!” Sofia chirped.

“Ah, Princess Sofia, how…nice of you to come back.” Sir Gillium didn’t really sound as pleased as his words, but he managed to keep his patient expression on as he addressed her. “I take it you still want to try out for the team?”

“Of course.” She said, not losing her smile.

“Right, well…I’m afraid that almost all of the pegasi are taken, princess. There’s only one pegasus left, and no one wants him.” He said.

“That’s okay, I’ll take him.” Sofia shrugged. “I’m not too picky.”

“Of course you aren’t.” Sir Gillium sighed. “Come along, then. I’ll take you to him.”

Sir Gillium escorted the young princess into the stables, and Sofia was given her first up close look at real pegasi. They looked like regular horses, but they had long feathered wings that strangely seemed natural on them despite the contrasting between body and appendage. Sofia was led to the very back of the stables, where her future pegasus was being held.

“There he is, princess,” Sir Gillium pointed to the center stable. “The youngest pegasus of his age group. Born and raised right here on the school grounds.”

Sofia gasped as she saw the pegasus that she would be riding. He was a large black stallion, with fur and wings blacker than midnight, with a crimson main that fit so well with his coat. His wings were large, even when folded into his body, and overall he looked so powerful.

“He’s so beautiful.” Sofia breathed.

“Aye, he’s a sight to look at, but fair warning princess, he has a bit of a…temper.”

As if to affirm his statement, the black pegasus shot a glare at a passing mare as she walked past him. “Don’t act like you didn’t see me, Laura, I know you kicked a hole in my wall on purpose! You better hope I don’t see you after hours or I’m going to make you wish you were born a horse!”

‘I see what he means.’ Sofia thought.

“His name is Maximillian, and he’s one of the…rougher pegasi to handle. None of the other boys want to ride him because he’s so rowdy.” Sir Gillium said. “I won’t blame you if you want to reconsider, princess-“

“No, it’s fine.” Sofia said, smiling up at Maximillian. “I can handle him.”

“…Of course, princess.” At this point Sir Gillium had resigned that he wasn’t going to be getting Sofia to have second thoughts and just went off to see to the other boys.

Sofia walked up to Maximillian’s stable. As soon as he spotted her, the black pegasus scowled at the girl and ruffled his wings.

“So they’re sending little girls to tame me, eh?” Maximillian chuckled bitterly. “What, did they lose faith in their noble princes and dukes in training to handle the job properly?”

“I’m not that little.” Sofia said, putting her hands on her hips. “I turn thirteen next year!”

Maximillian blinked at her in shock. “How…you can understand me? That’s impossible!”

“It’s not when you have a magic amulet.” Sofia sang, lifting her small purple jewel. “I’m Sofia, and you’re going to be my racing pegasus.”

“Ha! That’s what you think, little girl. Those boys who see themselves as men thought they could ride me too and they avoid me like the plague.” Maximillian lowered his head to look her in the eye. “What makes you think you’ll fare any better?”

“I don’t think I’m anything more than just a girl trying to learn how to fly.” Sofia answered honestly. She took his reins and led him along. “And I hope we can get along together throughout this week.”

Maximillian bit back a laugh and allowed the princess to lead him out of the stables. ‘Okay, princess, let’s see if you’re more interesting than these other brats who think they’re good enough for me.’

XXXXXX

‘Oh no, Sof, don’t tell me you actually chose _him._’ James thought as he saw Sofia exiting the stables with a pitch black pegasus with a blood red mane in tow. The other boys also looked shocked that Sofia was choosing Maximillian of all pegasi.

He, too, had heard the horror stories of the terrible Maximillian the Black, the pegasus with an attitude. Every rider, young or old, was thrown off that beast multiple times and even seasoned pegasus riders were reluctant to get on him. James really didn’t want to see his little sister get thrown off that pegasus…or worse.

“All right, everyone, gather around!” Sir Gillium called out to the riders. Once they were assembled in front of him, he began explaining how things will turn out for them. “The tryout race will be held this Friday at this very racetrack. You have until then to practice whenever you want, however you want, so feel free to use this course as many times as you need.”

‘I plan to!’ Sofia thought excitedly.

“If that’s all, then we can get started. Remember, be safe, have fun, and always stay royal both on and off the track.”

The boys gave a cheer and ran to mount their pegasi. James got on his pegasus, Electra, easy enough, but Sofia was having a hard time getting on Maximillian, who didn’t even bother bending low for her to hop on.

“Come on, Maximillian, work with me.” Sofia grunted. She had one foot in the stirrup, but she couldn’t swing her leg over his back.

“Come on, girl, I thought you wanted to become a pegasus rider.” Maximillian chuckled. “You got to put some work into it.”

Sofia glared at the pegasus, but schooled her expression as James walked up to them. “Need some help?” He asked.

“Thanks.” James lifted her up onto the saddle, and she got a tight grip on the reins, much to Maximillian’s annoyance.

“Okay, I’m all set.” Sofia sat there for a moment before she looked at James sheepishly. “Um…how do I move?”

Before James could help her, he heard Hugo’s scathing laugh behind him as he strolled on by atop his own pegasus.

“Hey, James, good on you for helping your sister learn how to ride a pegasus. You think you can give my little sister some pointers with her pony too?” Hugo grinned.

“Get bent, two legs.” Maximillian growled.

James glared at Hugo before gripping Maximiliian’s reins to lead him away from the snickering boys. He looked over to the archway leading outside the stadium and pointed there. “Come on, Sof. Let’s head someplace quieter.”

XXXXXX

“All right, Sof, here’s your first pegasus riding lesson.” James said, sitting atop his own pegasus. “Make sure you have a tight grip on your reins. You’ll fall if you don’t secure yourself.”

“Got it.” Sofia nodded, grabbing the reins firmly.

“Just flick the reins to make your pegasus move forward and pull back to stop him.” James told her. “Give it a try.”

“Okay.” Sofia took a deep breath and flicked the reins.

Now, you may be expecting Maximillian to rebel and remain in place, but the mind of a pegasus is a lot more complicated than most people give them credit for. Maximillian wasn’t in the mood for letting this girl take things slow with beginner’s lessons. He wanted to see if she was any different from the boys who fell off within two minutes of trying to fly him.

So Maximillian walked forward…and abruptly took off.

“Ah!” Sofia screamed as her steed suddenly ran forward and took off with a mighty flap of his wings. She held on tight to the reins, as well as wrapped her arms around his neck, and held on for dear life as Maximillian flew into the air like a cannonball. “Maximillian, what are you doing?!”

“Seeing if you’re made of sterner stuff!” Maximillian said and flapped his wings harder, increasing his speed.

“Sofia!” James called out to her, already on his pegasus and chasing after them, though Maximillian was faster than he thought. James could only watch in awe and fear as the black pegasus carrying his little sister spun through the air, performing sharp turns and huge aerial maneuvers that Sofia probably didn’t even know existed. If she fell off at that height…James didn’t even want to think about it!

‘Amber’s going to kill me.’ James thought in despair.

Maximillian’s aerial display immediately caught the attention of the other boys who were practicing. They all looked at the fast black pegasus with awestruck expressions, and their disbelief heightened when the saw the screaming princess clinging to the pegasus’s back. Maximillian laughed joyously and dived closed to the obstacle course, making sure to cut across Hugo’s path with a quick wing-slap to the nose.

“Hey, watch it!” Hugo shouted.

“Sorry!” Sofia yelled back.

Sofia had one eye closed because of the wind pushing against her face. With each tight motion she felt her organs shift uncomfortably and nearly felt herself slip off the saddle. She couldn’t speak over the rushing wind, and she was afraid to move an inch lest she get swept away. It was completely and utterly terrifying…and she loved it.

Sofia knew what Maximillian was trying to do, trying to scare her enough to quit riding him. But she wasn’t so easily cowed, especially now that she was close to achieving her dream of becoming a Flying Derby racer, the first princess and girl to do so in Enchancian history. She was going to prove those boys, and Maximillian, that she could do this! Even if she hurled from the triple barrel roll he was doing right now!

After almost fifteen minutes of straight free-flying, Maximillian got bored of zipping around the course and dived towards the ground. He glided to a hard landing and skidded to a stop in the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust.

‘Ha! That should scare off the little brat.’ Maximillian thought and looked back at the girl clinging to his back. “Have you had enough, girl? I won’t blame you if you start crying-“

“That was amazing!” Sofia hollered after taking a deep breath.

“Huh?” Maximillian’s jaw went slack at the big smile on her face.

“Sofia!” James landed right behind them and ran up to get his sister off the saddle. “Sofia, are you okay?”

“James, that was incredible. I’ve never felt so invigorated in my whole life!” Sofia laughed, kicking her feet excitedly. “Did you see how many spins he did? I had no idea a pegasus could fly so fast!”

James looked at his sister worriedly. “Sof…”

“I like him, James. He’s the perfect pegasus for me.” Sofia declared.

Then she fell off the saddle and onto the ground.

XXXXXX

Amber was the epitome of ladylike. She was raised to not give into her base instincts to commit violent acts upon another person, male or female. She was raised to handle whatever issues or problems came her way with a calm, steady grace.

Except for now, in which she wanted to strangle her brother upon seeing Sofia’s disheveled state. The girl looked like she stood in the middle of a hurricane. And her hair…Amber would’ve fainted on the spot if she wasn’t trying to tear out James’s throat.

“How did this happen after one day?” Amber growled, her fan clutched tight in her grasp. “This was supposed to be a starting lesson to teach her the basics!”

“Sofia’s pegasus wasn’t being very…agreeable with her.” James coughed, looking away. He was ready to bolt if Amber lunged at him. “She flew a couple of laps around the track…and then some. But she held on tight and didn’t let go.”

“You let her take the wildest pegasus in the stables?” Amber rubbed her throbbing forehead, already feeling a headache coming on. “James, she could’ve fallen off!”

“But she didn’t.” James pointed out with a grin. “She held on and landed safely. She did better than the other boys who tried to ride Maximillian.”

Amber shot forward with the intent to pull every last golden strand of hair from James’s head, but she was held in place by a funnel of air that manifested around her, courtesy of Dante.

“Down girl,” Dante said, walking up to the royal twins. “No need to murder James on holy ground.”

“Dante, it’s the dining hall.” James said.

“As I said,” Dante gave James a look. “Holy ground.”

“Amber, don’t blame James.” Sofia said. She was sitting at the dining room table taking a breather after she and James returned home. She calmed down after her minor bout of madness, and now felt a little calmer. “I chose Maximillian as my pegasus, and I did sort of…underestimate his aggressiveness. But I’m fine now and I know what I’m getting into tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Amber whined, now released from Dante’s wind spell. “You’re still going to do this?”

“It’s what I want to do, Amber, and I’m not stopping when I’ve just begun.” Sofia said determined.

“You tell her, Sof.” James grinned.

“Girl power to the max.” Dante said.

Amber just rolled her eyes and flicked open her fan. “You two are bad influences on her.”

XXXXXX

The next two days were nothing but constant training for Sofia. Maximillian didn’t bother replicating his daring aerial show after being shocked by Sofia’s ecstatic reaction, but that didn’t mean he had given up. He was dead set on making her wipe out just like the other boys who thought they could handle him.

James coached Sofia throughout the entire way. The first couple of times she tried to ride Maximillian at an even pace led her to falling off. Thankfully, there were soft cushions laid all over the track so no one got seriously hurt, though Sofia quickly learned to hate landing back first on the cushions. It got annoying really quick after the first two times.

“Oof!” Sofia grunted as she landed on another safety cushion. She coughed a bit before regaining her breath.

“Your form was good, but you got to lean along with his turns. Move when he moves and keep a strong grip on the saddle with your legs.” James instructed. “Don’t lean back while flying upwards or gravity will take hold and pull you off.”

“Right, lean in with the movements, always lean forward, not backward.” Sofia nodded and slapped her cheeks. “I can do this!”

“You’re already doing it.” James grinned. “You’re getting farther and farther along the course every day. Honestly, you’re doing better than I did when I first started my riding lessons.”

Sofia smiled at his praise, but the moment was cut short when Hugo rode up to them with that same cocky smirk that even she was starting to get sick of.

“Being better than James isn’t saying much when he’s not even a third rate rider.” Hugo laughed. “I’d say that your bad skills runs in the family, but…well, you get the idea.”

“You can tease me all you want, Hugo, but don’t you dare say a word about my sister.” James growled.

Hugo just laughed and flew off. James glared at his back before giving his sister a confident smile.

“Don’t worry, Sof. If you won’t give up, then I won’t either.” He said.

Sofia smiled and ran back to mount Maximillian again, earning another aggravated snort from him.

It was a challenge dealing with both the course and Maximillian’s attitude, but James’s tips were helping her little by little. She held on tight to the reins, kept her feet in the stirrups, made sure not to lean back too far to avoid getting blown off by the high speed winds, and especially made sure to lean in with every movement.

At this point she had practically memorized the course by now. Under the grass archway, through the three hoops, circle around the spire, zigzag through the three columns, touch the chimney of the oddly placed house in the middle of the course and finally fly up to the top of the tower and ring the bell before reaching the finish line.

It all sounded so easy, but in practice, it was a tall task for someone who literally just started learning to ride a pegasus a few days ago.

“Ready…set…go!”

James and Sofia shot from the starting line and dived into the course. For a moment, James was in the lead, but Maximillian was easily able to keep up with him from the moment they flew through the hoops. They circled around the spire, zigzagged through the columns (Maximillian tried to dump Sofia off in the water, but she held on tight and gave him a hard yank for that stunt), flew over the chimney of the house that really shouldn’t be in the middle of a race track, and soon came upon the final obstacle-the old clock tower.

“You’re doing great, Sof!” James called out to her. “You’re almost there!”

Sofia’s eyes zeroed in on the clock tower and flicked Maximillian’s reins again to make him go faster. James had already scaled the side of the tower and rang the bell. Sofia leaned forward to brace herself for the steep climb…only to suddenly have Maximillian stop short, and the forward momentum sent Sofia flying off the pegasus and crashing hard into the ground, landing right on her shoulder.

The fall was hard enough to leave any serious damage, but Sofia knew she was going to have a bruise there. She groaned and clutched her aching shoulder before looking up to see Maximillian glaring down at her.

“What was that for?” She yelled.

“Wanted to test your reaction time. It was quite poor by the way, absolutely atrocious.” Maximillian said and walked past her. “You ain’t going to make it far if you get a broken arm from this, princess. Give it up.”

XXXXXX

That evening Sofia sat on one of the plush couches in the castle hallway, her dirty helmet in hand as she rubbed her tired face. It was hard keeping the disappointment off her face. Her shoulder was still sore from her rough landing, but Maximillian’s words hurt most of all. Why was he so hostile towards her?

“Sofia?” Amber peeked at her from the door and rushed to her side. “I saw you crash. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit sore, but nothing a big girl like me can’t handle.” Sofia laughed weakly. “Looks like I still need some more practice.”

“Sofia, you only have one more day until the race.” Amber reminded her, her worry evident on her face.

“I know.” Sofia sighed.

Amber pursed her lips and took Sofia’s hand. “Sofia, I know you don’t want to hear this, but maybe this sport just isn’t for you. Maybe boys are just better at this.”

She put a hand to Sofia’s cheek and lifted her face. “Please, Sofia, just think about this. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Sofia looked away and nodded before getting up and entering her room. She leaned against her door and sighed loudly, letting her exhaustion wash over her.

“You aren’t looking so good.” Rhea noted from her perch at the foot of Sofia’s bed. “How was practice?”

“Terrible. I didn’t even make it past the final obstacle before Maximillian tossed me off!” Sofia grumbled and jumped onto her bed. “The race is in one day, and I can barely handle my own pegasus. It took me three days just to learn the basics while training on top of that! Even Amber told me to quit.”

“Calm yourself, Sofia.” Rhea said. “I know it looks hard, but you’ve made it this far. It’d all be for naught if you quit now.”

“I know, but there’s so much to learn in so little time.” Sofia whined. Rhea fluttered onto her bed and hopped over to her.

“Sofia, tomorrow is a weekend, yes?”

“Yeah.” Sofia nodded.

“Then that means no school, which means you have the entire day to yourself.” Rhea said. “If you truly want to become a pegasus rider, then you’ll be up first thing in the morning, head straight to the race track, and spend the entire day training until you can recall every last bit of that course by heart.”

“That…sounds like a great idea!” Sofia smiled and hugged Rhea. “Thank you, Rhea. You’re the smartest eagle I know.”

“I’m the only eagle you know.” Rhea quipped.

“Oh hush.” Sofia giggled. “Mona’s starting to rub off on you.”

XXXXXX

The next day, after eating breakfast, Sofia took the flying coach straight to the Flying Derby course and got Maximillian from the stables, which annoyed the pegasus greatly.

“Do you know what time it is, girl?” Maximillian groaned. “I barely finished eating my oats!”

“I’m sorry, but I wanted to get an early start on practice.” Sofia said. At the pegasus’s groan, he gave him a bright smile and said, “Come on, Maximillian, it’s a brand new day and the sun is high in the sky. Today will be fun for both of us!”

It was only fun for Sofia. As soon as she saddled Maximillian, they took off and she ran him through the course multiple times. Though she was nowhere near James’s level of riding, Sofia noticed that she was having an easier time withstanding Maximillian’s aggressive style of flying.

And for once, Maximillian wasn’t actively trying to throw her off, which was both relieving and suspicious. She only knew him for four days, but she knew that he was waiting for an opportunity. This didn’t take away from the elation she felt as she sailed through the course like an arrow. In fact, the only hurdle she was having problems with were the hoops.

There were three hoops lined up, and they were all different shapes; a square, a circle and a triangle. Sofia maneuvered Maximillian through the circle and square hoops easily enough, but she was never confident about going through the triangle hoop until today. It was better to be prepared that sorry.

“One more time, Maximillian, we can do this.” Sofia said, making him go faster.

As they came upon the triangle hoop, Sofia leaned forward to make sure she wasn’t blown off by wind resistance. What she wasn’t ready for, however, was Maximillian tucking in his wings and doing a barrel roll through the hoop instead of going straight forward. Unprepared, Sofia’s helmet clipped the side of the hoop and she was knocked back, losing one foot in the saddle and almost falling off.

“Ah, land, land!” Sofia screamed, holding onto the saddle for dear life.

Maximillian rolled his eyes and smoothly landed on the ground, where Sofia hopped off the saddle and glared at him.

“What was that? I almost fell off, Maximillian.”

“Don’t yell at me. That hoop is too small for my magnificent body. You wanted to get through it, I got you through it.” Maximillian shot back. “Not my fault you’re too damn big to avoid getting hit.”

Sofia opened her mouth to reply, but then she heard a laugh above her and looked up. Hugo, who had also been doing some weekend practicing, hovering above them on his pegasus.

“Really, Sofia, the race is tomorrow and you’re still falling off your pegasus?” Hugo grinned. He gave her a disappointed shrug. “Honestly, why don’t you just give up and go back to where you belong with the other princesses? Maybe then Sir Gillium will think about getting rid of that defective beast you’re riding.”

Sofia scowled and ignored him, but Maximillian had no such restraint. Enraged at being called a defective beast, he beat his wings and flew over Sofia’s head, nearly knocking the girl over. Hugo gave a startled shout as the black pegasus charged at him, snorting and kicking and, unknown to him, cursing at him.

“Who are you calling defective, boy?” Maximillian snarled. “You’re not even worth being trampled under my hooves, you little brat!”

“Maximillian, stop it!” Sofia screamed.

“Get off me you damn animal!” Hugo yelled. He kicked at Maximillian to drive him away before steering his pegasus to fly away from the maddened beast. Thankfully Maximillian didn’t try to give chase and landed back on the ground.

“Good riddance.” Maximillian snorted. “That’ll teach him to talk smack to me.”

“Maximillian!” The pegasus actually jumped at the volume of Sofia’s voice as she came marching up to him with a cross look on her face. “What is wrong with you? You could’ve hurt Hugo.”

“What I just did is hardly the worst I’ve done to brats like him.” Maximillian said. “He’s lucky I didn’t toss him off his mount.”

“Stop it, Maximillian. Just stop it!” Sofia shouted. “You’re out of control. I’ve tried to treat you kindly, tried to work with you, but you spit in my face every chance you get. What did I do to make you hate me?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.” He replied.

“No, we need to talk about this now. The race is tomorrow and we’ve barely improved since we first started training.” Sofia stepped in front of Maximillian and crossed her arms. “I know you don’t have a very high opinion of riders, but if you dislike them so much, why even become a race pegasus in the first place?”

“Because I never wanted to be one!” Maximillian roared in her face.

Silence followed. Sofia stared wide eyed into Maximillian’s angry expression before she recovered enough to whisper, “What?”

“I had an older sister who wanted to be a Flying Derby pegasus. Her name was Carmen, and she was ten times the flyer I am, and my parents loved her. She was supposed to be the family star, the big racer, but she disappeared one night and no one’s seen her since.” Maximillian growled, pushing his head against Sofia’s. “And with her gone, who do you think got saddled with her career and parents’ expectations? Me! I have to deal with princes and nobles who think that their fancy money and noble birth makes them decent riders and I’m sick and tired of it all. I never had a choice in what I wanted to be and if I had it my way, I’d bow out too if it weren’t for my parents expecting me to be as good as Carmen. Or for a princess who just doesn’t know when to quit!”

Sofia didn’t know what to say, and she couldn’t make herself say anything either. Maximillian huffed and turned away, trotting down the dirt path back to his stables.

“We’re done, girl. And this is the last time I want to see you anywhere near here.” He said with finality.

XXXXXX

Sofia returned to the castle looking sadder than when she left. She felt sad for Maximillian, who was being forced to live out his sister’s career at the behest of his parents. Knowing why he was acting the way he was shed some light on the reason for his attitude. Sofia never thought it was any more complex than him just not having a worthy rider or something.

‘Then again, I never really considered his reason to be a valid one.’ Sofia thought. ‘Be able to talk to animals makes things harder than I thought.’

“Sofia!” Sofia’s eyes widened when she saw her mother waiting by the main hall. “Welcome back.”

“Mom?” She ran over to her mom, who pulled her down to sit next to her. “What are you doing out here?”

“Waiting for you. I have some great news,” Miranda said, excitedly. “Your father and I are coming to see your race tomorrow! Won’t that be great?”

“You’re…mom, you really don’t have to do that. It’s nothing special, really.” Sofia stammered, looking away. “I’m sure you and dad are busy enough as it is.”

“No, we aren’t, but even if we are we’d still come to see your big race.” Miranda noted Sofia’s slumped shoulders and frowned. “Sofia, what’s wrong?”

Sofia took a minute before answering. “I think…I don’t think I’m going to race tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“I’m still trying to get along with my pegasus, and we hit a dead end during practice today.” Sofia said, resting her chin on her hand. “Maybe Amber and Hugo are right. Boys are probably better at this than girls are.”

“That’s no way to think, Sofia. You’ve worked hard to get this far, and from what James told me, you’re improving every day.” Miranda told her daughter. She ran a hand through Sofia’s auburn locks and pulled her in close. “You just have to keep trying and don’t listen to what anyone has to say about it. You’ve gotten this far along because you never gave up on yourself.”

“Mom, do you think I have a chance at winning the race tomorrow?” Sofia asked.

“I have faith in you, Sofia.” Miranda said smiling. “But the real question is do you think you can win tomorrow?”

Seeing that Sofia was still a bit conflicted, Miranda kissed her forehead and helped her to her feet. “Let’s get you something to eat. Some lunch might make you feel better.”

“That’s okay, mom. I’m just going to walk around for a bit.” Sofia hugged her mother and walked off, her mind full of stormy thoughts on what to do.

Did she think she could win tomorrow? Maybe, if she were paired up with another pegasus, but Maximillian was all she had at the moment, and she couldn’t bring herself to just up and abandon him after learning the truth. What do you say to a pegasus who wants nothing to do with racing to get him to help you win a race? Was there even a right answer to that?

Sofia found herself in the flower garden, a place she often found herself whenever she wanted to be alone or to think. She had barely passed the rose garden when she heard someone call out to her.

“Sofia?” It was Dante, and Mona was down by his feet giving her a cheeky smile. “Hey, how was practice.”

“Terrible. I just came here to think.” Sofia said and looked at the basket in his hands. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting your work?”

“No, no, you’re not. I’m just collecting some plants for Cedric’s potion making.” Dante lifted the basket. “I’m not really supposed to pick flowers from the royal garden, but we’ll keep this our little secret, yes?”

Sofia giggled when he put a finger to his lips and shushed her. “Yes, I won’t tell a soul.”

Dante smiled and walked up to her. “Now, since you’re looking a bit under the weather, I’m assuming that you’re still having problems with your pegasus?”

“That and more.” Sofia bit her lip before asking something that’s been on her mind. “Dante, do you think girls can do the same things boys can?”

Dante blinked at her before humming. “Is this because of what Amber and her friends told you?”

Sofia nodded. Dante shook his head and sat down on a stone bench next to her. “Sofia, kids like Amber and Hugo were raised with expectations befitting their station. Hugo was raised believing that boys like him were the only ones who could do things like climb trees and get dirty, while girls like Amber were raised to be ladylike and proper. This is something that’s been taught for centuries, but it’s not as strict now as it had been back then.”

“So…you think a have a chance?” Sofia said hopefully.

“There’s nothing holding you back aside from your own insecurities. That nimrod Hugo is probably threatened by you. He’s one of those boys who feels emasculated by the thought of a girl being as good as or even better than him at a sport meant for boys. And Amber? Well, she grew up thinking that princesses are only meant to do princess things. I doubt that mindset will change even if you win tomorrow.”

Dante stretched out his legs with a relieved sigh. Digging through the royal garden while in stealth mode was tough on his calves. “200 years ago, it was widely believed that women couldn’t become magicians, and that magic was solely a man’s domain. The only female magic users you would find back in the old days are witches and rogue dark mages like Morgana Le Fey.”

“When did things change?” Sofia inquired. She loved it when Dante dished out his knowledge in magical history. It made him look more adult and mysterious.

“When a king and his friend learned that the whole belief was just something started by a bunch of misogynistic sorcerers who felt inept at being weaker than a potential sorceress. They spearheaded a massive movement that spread all over the world and enabled women to become sorceresses just like men. They, too, were told that women couldn’t amount to anything more, but they proved their naysayers wrong.” Dante looked down at her with those luminous green eyes and gave her a confident smile. “You can do great things, Sofia, but only if you focus on your goals and not on what people say about you. You’re not doing this for them, you’re doing this for yourself. Fight hard for what you believe in and you’ll inspire others to do the same.”

Sofia looked at him for several minutes, making Dante blush and look away. “W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re really amazing, you know that?” Sofia said, making him blush harder. “You’re so young and yet you know so much about the world.”

Dante smiled at that. “I just had a great teacher.”

XXXXXX

The day of the race had arrived, and Sofia woke up that morning with her game face on, ready to face the challenge laid out before her. She and James were the first to leave in order to head to the stables early and get their pegasi.

What Sofia wasn’t expecting was for there to be so many people at the track. Nobles and their children, as well as a couple of commoners who were able to afford going to the Flying Derby race, were flooding into the stands in their carriages and coaches like ants. This was too much for the tryout race for the Junior Flying Derby team!

“James, why are there so many people here?” Sofia whispered to her brother.

“Everyone wanted to see if a princess really can make the Flying Derby team.” James said and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be okay, Sof. This will be your chance to show everyone what you can do.”

“Sofia! James!” They looked up and saw Miranda and Roland passing by on their flying coach, waving at them.

“Hi, mom!” Sofia tried to put on a brave face in front of her mom, almost failing miserably.

They got more pre-race encouragement from Amber, who was all dolled up with her Hugo #1 fan and her Derby Tiara (trademark) flanked by her two friends, Clio and Hildegard.

“I see you’re still going through with this.” Amber said, frowning at Sofia.

“Yup. I’ve made up my mind and I’m not giving up. There’s no turning back for me, Amber.” Sofia said.

“Looks like you’ll have your chance, with all these people here. Good thing I’m wearing my Derby Tiara for the occasion.” Amber adjusted her tiara for the fifth time that day. Then she noticed something falling from the sky. “Oh, what’s that?”

Sofia looked up just in time for a purple rose to fall into her hands. She blinked at the rose and looked up to see Dante flying over them on a flying carpet that she was sure had been in one of the rooms back at the castle.

“When did Dante start acting so suave?” Hildegard whispered.

“Since he found his childhood sweetheart in Sofia.” Amber whispered back with a giggle. She waved Sofia off and went with her friends to join her parents in the stands.

Fastening the rose to her jacket, Sofia and James ran into the stables to retrieve their pegasi. Having told James that she was going to take a couple of minutes to check Maximillian over, she slowly walked over to his stable, where the black pegasus was still moping around. When Maximillian saw her he scowled and looked away.

“Maximillian…I’m so sorry.” Sofia apologized. “I’m sorry I was being so hard on you. If I had known that being a race pegasi wasn’t what you wanted, then I would’ve backed off immediately.”

Maximillian sent a glance her way, but said nothing.

“I’m sorry that you’re going through so much after your sister disappeared. It must be so hard going through a change as drastic as that. I felt the same way when I became a princess and I had to learn all this new stuff on top of having a new family. I hated how much things had changed at first, but I got used to it with the help of my friends and family.” Sofia cautiously lifted a hand and ran it through his red mane. “I know you don’t like Flying Derby, but I also know that you don’t like losing either. Help me win this race, and I’ll make sure that you’re free.”

Maximillian’s head spun around to face her with his eyes wide in shock. “You’ll what?”

“I’ll set you free. I can have my dad buy you from Sir Gillium and I’ll let you fly free afterwards. But…I’m also hoping that we can become at least cordial with each other. I’m not asking for us to become friends right out of the gate, but I hope we can work together just one more time for today. Please, Maximillian.”

Maximillian looked at her silently for a moment before snorting and walking out of his stable. “You’d really give up a magnificent beast such as myself just like that?”

“If it’s to help you, then yes. I don’t feel comfortable forcing you to do this, Flying Derby or not.” Sofia nodded.

“So righteous…” Maximillian muttered and pushed his reins into her hand. “Then we better get moving. The race is about to start.”

Sofia smiled and Maximillian swore the stables got a little brighter. “Great!”

As they headed outside, Maximillian said one last thing to Sofia. “You are right about one thing, girl.”

“What’s that?” She asked. Maximillian flashed her a grin.

“I really do hate losing.”

XXXXXX

Sofia and Maximillian rode out onto the starting line where the other racers were waiting. Sofia got into position next to James, who sent her a thumbs up. She also pointedly ignored Hugo, who sent her and Maximillian a glare.

Once everyone was in their positions, Headmistress Sophie Mandragora stood up in the podium and tapped her wand to her throat to amplify her voice.

“Welcome to the Flying Derby tryout race!” Mandragora said, earning a bevy of excited cheers. “As everyone knows, the first two riders across the finish line will earn their place on Royal Prep’s Flying Derby team!”

Another wave of cheers came from the crowd. Sofia looked over and saw her parents sitting in the royal pavilion with Amber and her friends. Dante was still sitting on his flying carpet waving a “Sofia #1” sign that he got from who knows where.

“Focus up, girl.” Maximillian muttered, tensing his wings. “Party’s about to start.”

“Riders! On your wings…get set…GO!”

The gates opened up and the pegasi were fast on their way. Sofia struggled to remain leaning forward as Maximillian shot forward like a cannonball, his wings extended outward as he thundered onward. As expected, Hugo was in the lead, with James coming in for a close second. Sofia was fighting for third place with the other two riders that were trying to block her off.

“Out of my way, you second-rate horses!” Maximillian flapped his wings and vaulted over the first rider in fourth place, and swiftly arced around the second rider in third place, quickly demoting them to fifth and fourth place respectively.

_“In an amazing burst of speed Princess Sofia has went from last place to third before they’ve even reached the second obstacle! Looks like she’s aiming to wow the crowd as she aims for the finish line!”_

Sofia and Maximillian had both practically memorized every inch of the course in practice. They flew under the grass archway, through the three hoops (Sofia leaned in close to Maximillian’s body as he tucked in his wings and spun to increase his speed through the hoop) zigzagged through the three stone columns, and spun around the spire once.

“Wow, you sister’s moving like lightning, Amber.” Hildegard said, impressed. “And she just started riding?”

“Yes, earlier this week. I knew she was training hard, but I wasn’t expecting her to be this good. And James isn’t doing too badly either.” Amber said. She felt a surge of excitement as Sofia started gaining on the two boys up front and smiled. “Oh, she’s catching up to them!”

As they neared the oddly placed house, James and Hugo had already touched the smoking chimney, and Sofia was fast on their tails. Hugo looked over his shoulder before he grinned and pulled back hard on his reins just as Sofia came upon behind him.

The sudden mid-air stop took Sofia and Maximillian by surprise and the black pegasus reared back to avoid colliding with Hugo. Sofia lost her grip on the reins and fell off Maximillian’s back, landing hard on her back in a pile of hay.

“Sofia!” James exclaimed and circled around to check on his sister.

Up in the stands, the king and queen were also worried, while Amber were seething with rage.

“Oh my gosh! That…Hugo did that on purpose!” Amber growled and threw her Hugo fan to the ground. “I’m calling foul!”

Sofia sat up in the hay, rubbing her sore back. Fortunately she hadn’t fallen that far, lest she’d have more than a sore tailbone to worry about.

“Sofia!” James flew over her, looking at her with concern.

“I’m okay.” She assured him. “James, go on ahead, you need to catch Hugo!”

“I’m not finishing this race without you, sis. Grab on!”

Sofia reached up and took James’s hand, and he lifted her up onto Maximillian’s back. The black pegasus sent her a grin and flapped his wings. Sofia smiled back and gripped the reins.

“Let’s finish this race, Maximillian!” Sofia said.

Brother and sister shot forward at the same time, and their pegasi pushed themselves as hard as they could. Hugo was still in the lead, but James and Sofia were already gaining on him as they came upon the final obstacle in the race-the clocktower.

“I’m going to put in some more speed, girl. Brace yourself!” Maximillian said.

“Do it!” Sofia yelled back.

Maximillian pumped his wings and used an updraft to lift himself high into the air. Sofia gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep an eye open against the wind hitting her face. James was just a little bit behind her, and she was slowly closing the distance between herself and Hugo.

The three riders raced up the side of the clocktower and reached the top. Hugo rang the bell first, and seconds later James and Sofia did the same, one after the other. As Hugo glided down on the other side, he noticed a large black shadow falling over him and looked back.

It was Maximillian.

“What?! How did she…whoa!” Hugo steered his pegasus to the side to avoid crashing into the tree. He quickly regained his balance, but James and Sofia were practically on his tail at this point.

“All they need to do is pass Hugo and she’ll win.” Amber gripped her friends’ hands hard enough to shatter bone as she watched the race unfold. “Come on, Sofia! You can do it!”

Hugo, James and Sofia were neck and neck. They turned the final corner and raced towards the finish line, with was straight ahead.

“We’re almost there, Sofia!” James yelled.

“Come on, Maximillian, we can do this!” Sofia shouted.

Both James and Sofia, who were neck and neck with Hugo, slowly edged forward as the royal siblings overcame him. Hugo was yelling and cursing as he tried to gain speed, but was unable to bypass the competition. Everything seemed to blend together as the three young riders reached the finish line, with the first two riders reaching the white tape at the same time.

“THEY DID IT!” Amber screamed. “James and Sofia did it!”

The crowd went wild as James and Sofia raced across the finish line at the same time, their pegasi slowing to a stop along the ground, tired and sore but thoroughly satisfied.

_“Princess Sofia and Prince James have reached the finish line and won the tryout race. They’ve made the team, ladies and gentlemen!” _

Sofia slid of Maximillian’s back, feeling a bit winded after all that excitement. Maximillian looked no better, huffing and panting, but had that same grin on his face. They’ve won!

“We did it, Maximillian. You were absolutely amazing.” Sofia ran her hand along Maximillian’s black coat. “For your first and last race, you did wonderfully.”

“Yeah…yeah, that was amazing, huh?” Maximillian panted. “That was wild!”

“I guess I’ll have my dad release you from the stables.” Sofia said, feeling a bit sad. “I’ll miss you, but a deal’s a deal.”

“Whoa there, girl. Let’s rethink this a little.” Maximillian took a deep breath and raised his head to look down at her. “I may not like losing, but I’ll gladly admit that you have me beat here. I’ll…consider staying in the Flying Derby circuit, for now. As long as you’re riding me. None of those boys lasted a third as long as you did with me, and that’s saying something.”

Sofia’s eyes brightened. “So, does that mean we’re partners?”

“That…any maybe something more…Princess Sofia.” Maximillian winked at her, earning a giggle.

“Oh, Maximillian.” She hugged him around the neck.

Sofia noticed James walking up to her and ran to hug him as tightly as she could. “James, we did it. Thank you so much for helping me!”

“I should be thanking you.” James laughed. “I never would’ve made it to the end if I wasn’t spending all that time practicing with you.”

“Prince James, Princess Sofia,” Sir Gillium walked over to them with a big smile on his face. “Welcome to the team and congratulations to the both of you!”

“Thanks!”

“Thank you very much!”

King Roland and Queen Miranda also made their way onto the field, where brother and sister ran to hug their parents.

“You two were outstanding out there.” Roland praised, patting his son on the back. “All that hard work did pay off after all.”

“It sure did, dad.” James grinned.

“Mom, I made the team!” Sofia hummed and rubbed her cheek against Miranda’s.

“I’ve never seen something more amazing than that, Sofia. You really passed with flying colors.” Miranda smiled at her little girl. “I’m so proud of you.”

Standing off to the side, Hugo got off his pegasus with an angry huff and glared at the little girl and her stupid black stallion. If she weren’t the daughter of the king, he’d have that dirty beast flayed on the spot!

Hugo looked to his left and smiled when he saw Amber gliding across the ground atop a flying carpet being controlled by that magician boy whose name he didn’t bother to remember. He took off his helmet and bowed low as she neared him.

“Princess Amber.” He greeted her. At least this day wasn’t a total loss.

However, instead of fawning over him, Amber merely turned her nose up at him and allowed the carpet to float past Hugo, ignoring him completely. Dante sent him a grin and stuck his tongue out.

“Later, bozo.” Dante sang.

As they reached Sofia, Amber hopped off the carpet and hugged her little sister.

“You were amazing, Sofia. I’ve never been so excited at a Flying Derby race before, but you…you were something else.” Amber said.

“Thanks, Amber.” Sofia smiled.

“I was completely wrong. Maybe there are some princely things a princess can do if they try hard enough. As an apology for trying to keep you from doing this, I want you to have this.” Amber took off her tiara and held it out to Sofia.

“Amber,” Sofia gasped. “That’s your Derby Tiara.”

“A Derby Tiara is perfect for a Derby Princess.” Amber took Sofia’s helmet from her and placed the tiara atop Sofia’s auburn curls. “There, now you look like a winner.”

“Hey, I won too, you know.” James complained.

Amber sent him a smirk and fitted the purple riding helmet on her head. “I know.”

Maximillian snorted in amusement and Sofia heard him mutter, “I like her.”

Sofia giggled. “Oh, Amber.”


	4. Two Worlds

Chapter 4-Two Worlds

There were a lot of things about being a princess that Sofia had yet to learn. There were so many rules and traditions that even with Amber’s help she had a hard time memorizing. In fact, she hardly paid attention to the rather boring stuff like learning how to drink tea, managing three sets of forks and spoons and what speed a princess should spin in order to show off her gown. Rudimentary stuff like that.

However, if there was one thing that Sofia was excited for, it was having her first big royal sleepover!

“I wasn’t expecting everyone in the castle to be overhauling the entire castle just for us.” Sofia muttered as she and Amber walked through the busy kitchens. Servants were running around as if the king had just asked them to set up for visiting dignitaries from another country. “All this work for our slumber party?”

“It’s not just any slumber party, Sofia.” Amber corrected her. “It’s a royal slumber party. Your very first royal slumber party!”

“I know, I’m so excited!” Sofia squealed.

“Everything has to be perfect. The food, the drinks, the games, it all has to be set to a strict schedule that must be followed to the letter.” Amber said. “You can’t spare any expense at making memories like this.”

The girls came upon Baileywick, who was hard at work directing the servants in their tasks. Sofia could not help but marvel how a man as old as Baileywick could manage such chaos and still get things done in record time.

“Oh Baileywick,” Amber sang. “Is everything ready?”

“Yes, Princess Amber, everything is running smoothly.” Baileywick said. “The chocolate milk fountain is already being moved as we speak.”

“Chocolate milk fountain?” Sofia asked.

“Dante’s idea. He tends to think of the best things when he doesn’t sleep for three days.” Amber noted Sofia’s confusion. “Don’t ask.”

Amber led Sofia towards the mechanical elevator lift that would take them to the upper levels of the castle. Here, Amber gave her sister a rundown of what is expected of her.

“Royal slumber parties are not only where we girls can have fun, they’re also good ways to make connections.” Amber said.

“Connections?” Sofia blinked. “Like…royal connections?”

“Yes, you see, sometimes you’ll make friends with princesses from another kingdom, and those friendships can have some influence on relationships between kingdoms. It’s not common, but it’s something to look out for when hosting a royal slumber party. Oh, Sofia, your tiara is crooked.”

“Thanks.” Sofia let Amber adjust her tiara before asking, “Where are we going?”

“To where we’re going to sleep tonight.” The older princess answered with an excited squeal and clap of the hands.

The elevator reached the top level of the castle and the doors slid open to reveal the castle observatory, which had its own map of the constellations painted onto the roof along with a massive telescope for looking up at the night sky. Sofia had only been here twice, but she knew that those three fancy looking beds hadn’t been there before.

“Oh my gosh, Amber, we’re sleeping in the observatory?” Sofia exclaimed. Amber nodded excitedly.

“Yes we are! What better place to have a royal slumber party than by sleeping under the stars?” She said and clapped her hands to get Sofia’s attention. “But that’s not the most important part.”

“It’s not?” Sofia inquired. “What is?”

“The guests.” Amber answered. “I’ve invited Princess Hildegard and Princess Clio. We’ve known each other since we were little, and they’re the most popular princesses at Royal Prep, aside from myself of course. Who did you invite?”

“Ruby and Jade.” Sofia replied. Amber waited for her to add to that, like a title to refer to their status or something, but seeing that was it, she gave a frown.

“Oh. I don’t know them.” Amber said. “What kingdom are they from?”

“Ours. They’re my friends from Rosemary.” Sofia said, only to jump when Amber gave a surprised shriek.

“Excuse me?!” Amber sent her sister a glare. “You invited common girls?”

“Amber, relax, they’re cool.” Sofia said nonchalantly.

“But they’re not princesses!” Amber exclaimed.

“Amber, you’re going to love them.” Sofia hopped onto the bed and sighed in pleasure at how soft the sheets were. “We used to have the best sleepovers back in town.”

“Sofia, look at me.” Amber glared down at Sofia. “This is a royal slumber party. Emphasis on royal. Not to mention that it’s your first slumber party as a princess. You do want to make a good impression, do you?”

“I do,” Sofia said slowly and jumped off the bed. “But Amber, I promise, you’ll love Ruby and Jade. Besides, I don’t have any princess friends like you do. Ruby and Jade are the only girl friends I had back in Rosemary.”

Amber crossed her arms and sighed. Sofia smiled and took her hands in hers.

“Come on, Amber, at least let me have this. They’ll be loads of fun to be with.” She promised.

Amber lifted a hand and poked Sofia in the cheek, earning a giggle. “Fine, but they better not disrupt the part or we’ll be having words, young lady.”

“Buttercup scout’s honor.” Sofia vowed, smiling.

XXXXXX

“And when you’re done cleaning the cauldron, rearrange the vials on the top shelf in alphabetical order.” Cedric ordered his young protégé while religiously cleaning his crystal ball (a gift from his teenage years in Hexley Hall). “I almost blew myself sky-high by adding dryad dust instead of dragon’s tooth powder thanks the other day.”

“That wasn’t my fault. You never put those damn vials back in the right place when you’re done using them.” Dante’s voice echoed from within the large black cauldron he was sitting inside. How the cauldron was able to fit a boy Dante’s size is one of life’s many mysteries.

A sudden knock at the door made Cedric jump and drop the crystal ball onto his foot, making him wince and curse. “Merlin’s Mushrooms, who is it now? Baileywick, I swear if that’s you again, I’m going to shove my wand right up your-“

The door swung open and in walked King Roland and Queen Miranda. Cedric stiffened and stood straight up, ignoring his painfully throbbing toes.

“Hello, Cedric.” Roland greeted the sorcerer.

“Your majesties, what a pleasant surprise!” Cedric laughed nervously. “What can I do for you?”

“The girls are having a slumber party tonight.” Roland began.

“Oh yay, I can hear the endless giggling already.” Cedric chuckled mirthlessly.

“And we were wondering if you could do a little magic show for the girls.” Miranda said, smiling sweetly.

“You want me, the royal sorcerer, to entertain a couple of girls at a slumber party.” Cedric said slowly.

“Well, we were going to ask the jester first, but he’s out sick, so here we went to you.” Roland said in a tone that was nowhere near as scathing as his words. “Say eight o’clock tonight. How’s that sound?”

“That would be perfect, your majesty. Anything for the princesses.” Dante poked his head out of the cauldron, sporting a pair of goggles on his face. “Is it alright if I help Cedric out?”

“Of course you can! I’m sure Sofia and Amber will love having you there.” Roland smiled. “I’ll feel better if you were there to make sure that Cedric doesn’t turn the beds into banshees…again.”

“Excuse me, Dante, but what are you doing in that cauldron?” Miranda asked curiously.

“Cauldron cleaning, your highness. A magician must always keep his tools clean and well cared for.” Dante grabbed a white crystal from the table next to him. “I’ll give the girls a good show, King Roland. I swear on Cedric’s ever growing nose.”

“I know you will, Dante.” Roland chuckled.

“Thank you, Cedric, Dante.” Miranda said from the door before she and Roland left the chamber.

Once they were gone Cedric lost his fake smile and scowled at the door.

“Honestly, the audacity of it all!” Cedric ranted. “Fifteen years of bloody sorcerer training so I can be a warmup act for milk and cookies!”

“Just grit your teeth and bear it, Cedric. I can handle Amber and her mean girl posse no problem.” Dante said. “Besides, I’m sure Sofia and her friends will appreciate your magic show.”

At the mention of Sofia, Cedric’s demeanor did a complete 180 and he grinned deviously. “Princess Sofia…yes, you’re right, Dante. She’ll be there too, and so will her amulet.”

“Oh no…” The apprentice sighed.

“Oh yes, my young apprentice. This magic show will be the perfect opportunity for me to steal that amulet.” Cedric declared.

Wormwood cawed.

“Yes, Wormy, it’s a good idea, isn’t it? However, I’ll have to be sneaky about it.” The sorcerer’s gaze turned to Dante and he smirked. “Dante! You shall be the key to my rise to greatness!”

“Shut up, Cedric.” Dante sighed.

“You can put on the magic show for the girls, while I sneak up from behind and snatch Sofia’s amulet away from her!” With a wave of his wand, Cedric conjured two puppets in his hands. “It’ll be the perfect heist! Before anyone even has a chance to react, I’ll have enough power to take over the castle and sit on Roland’s throne as Enchancia’s first sorcerer king!”

Dante shook his head and sank back into the cauldron. It was best not to argue with him at this point. He channeled some energy into the crystal and held it out. However, instead of soapy suds, a burst of rainbow colored light exploded from the crystal, immediately blinding Dante.

“Cedric I said get me the soap crystal, not the damn prismatic crystal!” He screamed.

“For heaven’s sake, boy, they all look the same!” Cedric yelled. The bloody cauldron looked like a rainbow was exploding from inside it.

“The soap crystal is light blue, not white! How do you get that mixed up?” Dante yelled.

“Stop acting so hysterical, you’re not blind!” Cedric yelled back.

“I have stars in my eyes, Cedric. I can see sound!”

So ended another typical afternoon for master and apprentice.

XXXXXX

As the afternoon faded into evening, the carriages carrying the guests for the royal slumber party arrived. Roland and Miranda went out to greet the girls as Baileywick announced their arrival one by one.

“May I present, rom the Kingdom of Corinthia, Princess Clio Mercutio!”

The white carriage pulled up first, and Clio stepped out, clad in her vibrant lavender dress (though Sofia noticed some personal touches to her outfit, namely the fingerless gloves dotted with small amethyst stones). After her came her servant, who was struggling to balance three large suitcases as he followed her.

“From the Kingdom of Freezenberg, Princess Hildegard!”

The second carriage stopped in front of the castle and Hildegard was helped out onto the steps. Just like her kingdom, Hildegard was cool and beautiful, wearing a dark blue dress imported from Galdiz and her long black hair adorned with a rose. At her feet was a little furry white creature following her, a minx adorned with a fancy diamond studded collar.

Both princesses gracefully ascended the steps in a way that Sofia still could only dream of and met up with her and Amber.

“Hildy, Clio,” Amber greeted her friends with a curtsey, which Sofia mimicked. “So glad you could come.”

“It’s a pleasure to come, Amber, Sofia.” Hildegard said, her red lips giving a small, proper smile as she and Clio returned the curtsey in perfect synch.

The sound of a rickety wagon followed by the loud noise of a donkey broke the peaceful atmosphere. Amber, Hildegard and Clio all frowned and looked down at the tattered old wagon that pulled up in front of the castle, with two excited girls sitting in the back. One girl had dark skin with black hair and an orange red dress, while the other girl had pale skin and shorter black hair and wore a sky blue dress.

“And from the town of Rosemary, Ruby Hanshaw and Jade Lancaster.”

“Ruby, Jade!” Sofia pushed past Clio and Hildegard to run down the steps and greet her friends.

“Sofia!” Ruby nearly lunged out of the wagon to snatch Sofia up in a big hug. Jade followed right after, the taller girl engulfing her friends in an even bigger hug. “We missed you so much!”

“I missed you too!” Sofia laughed. It was still strange not seeing her two friends every day, even though she could visit them in her free time, but she was getting used to the distance between them.

The girls quickly broke apart and Jade and Ruby marveled at being near the royal castle for the second time within a month.

“I can’t believe we’re back here!” Jade laughed. “We’re spending the night inside the castle with princesses and fancy dresses and, and…”

“The food! Think of the food, Jade!” Ruby squealed. “We’re living the dream here!”

Amber didn’t even try to hide her embarrassment as her two friends gave her dry looks of exasperation.

“Amber,” Hildegard said slowly, crossing her arms. “Who are they?”

“And what are they doing here?” Clio asked.

“They’re Sofia’s friends,” Amber sighed. “From…Rosemary.”

“Princess Amber!”

“Oh god…” Amber groaned.

“Princess Amber, hi, remember us?” Jade asked as she and Ruby ran up the steps. “We’re Sofia’s friends from Rosemary. We visited Sofia here a couple of weeks ago.”

“Yes, I remember you, too.” Amber replied as politely as she could.

“I love this dress,” Ruby said, kneeling down to take a closer look at Hildegard’s blue dress. “Is it, like, the latest fashion or custom made?”

“For your information, it’s the latest in Galdizian fashion and is very hard to find, just as it is also very delicate fabric that shouldn’t be touched by grabby fingers!” Hildegard ended the sentence with a growl and Ruby backed off with a nervous chuckle.

“Okay, girls,” Roland said. “Now that everyone’s here, why don’t you all head inside and unpack? We have a lot planned for you tonight, so I’m sure you’re all excited.”

“Thank you, King Roland!” Ruby and Jade gave their own little curtseys and giggled.

“Ruby, Jade, you can come with me.” Miranda took the girls’ hands and led them inside. “I’ll show you around the castle.”

Sofia quickly walked passed Amber and her friends and gave the three princesses a weak smile as she hurried after her mother. She could still feel their burning glares upon her back.

XXXXXX

“And here’s my room.” Sofia turned to her friends and smiled at their awestruck looks. “I know it’s not much, but…”

“Not much? Sofia, your room dwarfs my entire kitchen!” Jade gushed, looking around the room with wide eyes. Her eyes grew wider upon seeing Sofia’s closet. “Oh my god, is that your closet?”

“Yup.”

“Sofia, you have more dresses than I have lives.” Jade gasped. “And you wear all of them?”

“Well, just the purple ones.” Sofia shrugged.

Ruby hopped onto the bed and sighed at how soft it felt. “And you get to sleep on this every night? Sofia, you’re living every girl’s dream here!”

“I know, though being a princess is a lot harder than it looks. Trust me, I know.” Sofia smiled and looked at her best friends. “I’m so glad you two decided to come. I was kind of afraid that you two would say no.”

“Why would you think that?” Jade asked. “Of course we’d come visit you. You’re our best friend!”

“I know, but with me living in the castle and going to another school, I was afraid that we’d drift apart. I’m still getting use to not seeing you two every day.” Sofia confessed.

“Sofia, we know that living in a castle is hard, but we can still see each other, just not on a daily basis like old times.” Ruby said. “Doesn’t mean we can’t hang out every once in a while.”

“Ruby’s right. As long as we’re still together, everything’s fine.” Jade smiled at Sofia. “Besides, we know how busy you can be. Especially after that sweet Flying Derby race last week.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Sofia thought about something. “Wait, don’t tell me they’re still talking about it back in Rosemary.”

Ruby and Jade shared amused looks. Same old Sofia.

XXXXXX

As the sun set, the girls assembled in the observatory to get ready for their slumber party. Amber, Hildegard, Clio and Sofia all got dressed in their rather stylish and fancy nightgowns, which contrasted with Jade and Ruby’s evening wear, the only ones they had and brought along.

“Hey, Jade, check this out!” Ruby wrapped her long hair around two brightly colored pinecones and started flapping them like wings. “I’m an eagle!”

“No, this is better!” Jade wrapped a bright green painted pinecone into her hair like a bun and did a pose. “How do I look?”

“Ha, you look just like those fancy noblewomen!” Ruby laughed. “Hey, Sofia, here’s a pinecone!”

She tossed one over to Sofia, but it was snatched out of the air by Amber, who looked at it with distaste before turning to Sofia.

“Sofia,” She said in a tight voice. “What is this?”

“A…pinecone?” Sofia answered, looking away.

“I can see that, but why are they putting pinecones in their hair?” Amber asked.

“It’s a game we used to play back in Rosemary during our sleepovers.” Sofia said defensively. “It was a fun game!”

Amber snapped her fingers and Hildegard and Clio were at her side in a heartbeat. “Girls, we need to have a princess intervention for my sister here.”

“Wait, Amber…!” Sofia was taken by the arms and led away from the beds into a small room where all the astrology books and star maps were located. Sofia had no time to really look at the room as she was pushed into a chair that nearly swallowed her up and made to face her sister.

“Sofia, at a princess slumber party, there are some things you need to keep in mind.” Amber began, staring straight into her sister’s eyes. “A perfect royal slumber involves all princesses in attendance to do activities that are suitable for princesses; such as doing your hair.”

“And having tea parties.” Hildegard added.

“And trying out different dresses.” Clio concluded.

“At a perfect royal slumber, there is no shouting, squealing, snorting, or…whatever it is they’re doing.” Amber sent a look at Jade and Ruby, who were dancing and making music with their mouths with pinecones still stuffed in their hair. “And the number one thing that all princesses should remember while attending a royal slumber party, is that everyone has to fit in.”

“Amber, that’s all well and good, but what’s a slumber party if you don’t have fun?” Sofia said. “I mean, doing your hair and having tea is all well and good, but what’s the point of a slumber party if you aren’t having a good time?”

“We can have a good time. Just not with rabble such as your friends.” Hildegard sniffed.

“I was one of those rabble too, Hildegard.” Sofia replied, crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow. Hildegard cleared her throat and looked away.

“Yes, well…you’re a princess now.”

“And we princesses have standards to uphold.” Amber said.

“Outside, yes, but not in the castle, where it’s just us.” Sofia smiled and walked past the girls. “You have your way of doing things, my friends have theirs. It doesn’t mean they can’t fit in, it’s just that they do things differently.”

“Sofia, if you want us to get along with your friends, then you better show that they can fit in at a royal slumber party without acting like they were born from a typhoon.” Amber said sternly.

“I’ll show that they can fit in with us. You’ll see.” Sofia promised and went to join her friends.

Amber was tempted to think that Sofia might actually fail in that promise after seeing her how her friends act, but Amber wasn’t one to underestimate Sofia after watching that miracle of a Flying Derby race.

XXXXXX

Sofia honestly didn’t know how a slumber party turned into a race to make two elements of her life mesh together in a congregation of friendship and acceptance, but now that she got to this point, she needed to make it work somehow.

“Okay, girls, before we get started, there’s a couple of things we have to do first.” Sofia said to her friends.

“What’s that?”

“Dress up!” Sofia led her friends over to the massive wardrobe that was sitting on the side (Amber’s idea, once again. Can’t be a proper princess slumber party if you don’t dress up at least once for the night). “If you two want to get the full experience of a princess party, then you’re going to have to look the part too!”

Ruby and Jade grinned at each other as they were led over to the wardrobe, where Baileywick was already going through the dresses for them to pick from. Sofia held out a hand and shook her head.

“I’ve got this, Baileywick.” She said confidently and looked at the large collection of dresses. She already knew her friends’ preferences by heart, so she quickly spotted the two dresses that they would like and picked them before Baileywick even knew what she was doing (which was a first for him. He was the one who was usually on the ball with this).

Sofia ushered her friends behind two dressing screens to let them dress. For Ruby she picked out a beautiful crimson dress with golden flower patterns along the skirt, and for Jade she picked out a deep violet dress with small diamonds embedded along the length of it. When she showed the girls their reflections, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Sofia…this looks…” Jade couldn’t even finish her sentence, completely stunned at seeing herself look so…pretty.

“Amazing.” Ruby finished, equally starstruck. “And you’ve giving them to us?”

“Yup! You two are my friends, and it’d be rude of me not to give you something to remember this night.” Sofia said. “But that’s not all.”

“Oh god, there’s more?!” Jade exclaimed. Sofia giggled and led the two over to another part of the room.

“Amber told me that a pretty dress means nothing if you don’t have the hair to match it.” She said and sat her friends down. “So how about I treat you two to a complete makeover?”

Sofia forgot how much fun it was doing her friends’ hair. She knew by heart how her friends wanted to look and she completed her task at speeds that even impressed Amber. Ruby always like her hair to be unique and large, very noticeable. So Sofia did her hair up in an overly fancy style that looked like a swan’s neck curling inwards.

Jade liked to have her hair done a bit more elegantly to suit her tastes. For her, Sofia did her hair up in a short braid while curling her front bangs to frame her face. When she was done, she handed the girls a mirror and smiled at them.

“There, now you two are ready for a royal slumber party.” She said confidently.

“Thanks, Sofia!” Ruby said excitedly.

“This is going to be the best night of my life!” Jade hollered.

‘Now that they look the part, getting them to fit in should be easy.’ Sofia thought. ‘There’s no way this can be a disaster now!’

XXXXXX

It was a disaster.

Sofia loved Ruby and Jade with all her heart, but for something with so many rules like this slumber party, they weren’t doing a very good job of fitting in. So far they had derailed two of the events on their to-do list: fan decorating and pin the tail on the donkey.

Whereas the princesses had all painted elegant roses and flowers on their fans, Jade and Ruby spent the activity painting smiley faces and making them speak. Then Jade had to go make a comment about Hildegard’s minx, earning a glare so frosty it could’ve turned summer into winter. Then she knocked over a model of the solar system-a very expensive one, mind you. Amber, Hildegard and Clio didn’t look as amused as Ruby and Jade were.

‘I didn’t think it’d be this hard to have everyone get along.’ Sofia thought. ‘But the night’s not over yet. Ruby and Jade still have a chance!’

“Princess Clio, is it true that you have seven different swimming pools in your castle?”

“Yes.”

“Is it true that your castle has its own greenhouse with over 450 different kinds of plants?”

“Yes.”

“Is it true that Corinthia is a matriarchy? My mom said that every single one of its rulers was a queen, but I didn’t believe it until now.”

“Yes.”

Every one of Clio’s answers consisted of a single word that sounded more and more agitated every minute. Amber had to swoop in and rescue her, leading her away from the excitable peasant girl while she sent Sofia a glare.

“Sofia, do something about those _friends _of yours.” She growled. Sofia bit her lip and ran over to her friends.

“Next up we have a magic show, complete with chocolate milk from the chocolate milk fountain!” Sofia told her friends. “And yes, we have a chocolate milk fountain. That’s a thing and it actually exists.”

“This night just gets better and better.” Jade said. “I’ve never seen a magic show before aside from those boring card tricks that traveling performers would do back in Rosemary.”

“Well you’ll love this. My friend Dante is doing the magic show himself.” Sofia said.

“Dante? You mean that boy you always write about in your letters?” Ruby grinned.

“The sorcerer’s apprentice with eyes like emeralds?” Jade giggled. Sofia blushed at the look Jade gave her and looked away, only to yelp as Dante appeared next to her.

“Eyes like emeralds, huh? Never had anyone describe my eyes like that, but I’ll take it.” Dante grinned and looked at Ruby and Jade. “And you two must be Ruby and Jade, Sofia’s friends. Howdy.”

“H-Hi.” Jade stammered. She wasn’t expecting the young magician to look so…normal. She imagined him in black sorcerer’s robes with a pointy hat, not this handsome boy. He could pass for a prince if he tried!

Dante turned to Amber and her friends and frowned, which was returned in kind by Hildegard. “Ah, Hildegard. That explains why it feels like someone left the window open.”

“Don’t even start, Dante.” Hildegard growled.

Dante merely grinned and walked to the front of the room as the girls sat on their pillows in front of the little makeshift stage. As they sat down, Ruby leaned over to Jade.

“No wonder Sofia talks about him so much. He’s freaking cute!” Ruby said.

“If magicians look like that in the castle, then sign me up for maid duty.” Jade laughed. “You think he’s available?”

“Jade, please, Sofia’s got first dibs on him.” Ruby grinned, making Sofia blush.

“Ruby, could you not?” Sofia whispered, noticing Amber raise a brow at her. “He’s just a friend.”

“That’s what they all say.” Jade remarked. “But he wouldn’t happen to have a cousin or anything, would he?”

“Jade!”

“What? I’m not picky.”

“Seriously, girl, help a sister out.” Ruby nudged Sofia’s side.

Just before Sofia’s face burst into flames, Dante clapped his hands, spouting sparks from his fingers. “Welcome girls to the royal slumber party magic show. I don’t normally do magic shows, so don’t expect me to do this when you turn sixteen. I’m good at magic, but not that kind of magic.”

“For heaven’s sake, Dante.” Amber muttered.

Dante rubbed his hands together to build up some heat in his palms before pulling them apart and creating a fireball between his hands. Jade and Ruby were of course amazed, having never seen magic up close before, though Hildegard and Clio were used to this by now, having their own royal sorcerers. Dante divided the tiny flame into four separate fireballs hovering in a circle before him.

“Huh, maybe I made a little too many fireballs for this act.” Dante said, juggling the fireballs between his hands. “Mind holding some for me, girls?”

He tossed a fireball at Clio, who screamed and flinched away, only to see that the flame wasn’t burning her. In fact, it was hovering in her hands as if she were holding it. Clio blushed from the cheeky grin Dante gave her and practically chucked the next one at Hildegard, who also gave an undignified yelp. The Freezenburg princess sent Dante a glare as he playfully tossed the other fireballs to Amber and Sofia, and lastly Ruby and Jade.

“Wow.” Sofia gaped at the tiny flame in her hand. How was he doing this?

“Annoying as he is, Dante is perfect for little get-togethers like this.” Amber whispered to Sofia.

Sofia gasped when her flame turned purple. Jade’s flame turned green, Ruby’s turned red. Amber’s flame shifted to a bright yellow, while Hildegard and Clio got blue and lavender respectively. Dante took the flames back into his hands and began shaping the multicolor flames into all kinds of patterns and shapes. It was a dazzling display of magic that Sofia didn’t know Dante was capable of, and for a moment, she forgot all about worrying about her friends.

Unnoticed by the other girls, Cedric was hiding behind the chocolate milk fountain putting his plan into action. With his puppet in hand (from the days when he would give little magic shows to Amber and James when they were toddlers) he gave his wand a flick and made the little puppet stand on its two legs, stumbling clumsily over to where Sofia was sitting.

‘Merlin’s Mushrooms, this went a lot easier in my head.’ Cedric thought as he struggled to keep the puppet from falling over. He was rusty with his animating spells.

The puppet toddled along the floor straight for Sofia, who was busy watching Dante’s fire show. Cedric’s grin grew wider as it got closer and he eagerly rushed the puppet along to snatch the amulet before the girls noticed a thing. Sadly, he was waylaid by fate as Jade noticed the little wooden toy moving behind them.

“Oh my god!” She screamed, startling the other girls. “Is that puppet moving on its own?”

“I think it is?” Sofia looked at the puppet curiously, which had frozen in place mid-step upon being noticed. “Dante, did you…”

“No, that’s not me.” Dante hid his annoyance behind a forced smile and raised a hand toward his master. “That’s the work of my master, Cedric the Sensational! He’s acting as my assistance to spice things up for you girls tonight.”

“Really? Wow, Mr. Ceedric, you’re really good!” Sofia clapped for him. “You almost had me there for a moment!”

Cedric glared at Dante, but went along with the lie now that he was found out. He forced a smile on his face and gave a deep bow to the girls. “Always happy to be of service, princess.” He said through gnashed teeth.

Seeking to end the show before Cedric found a way to derail the whole performance, Dante cupped his hands together and separated the different colored flames individually once more. Slowly, he opened his fingers like a flower blossoming, and the flames turned to solid crystal. Each crystal flower was gently placed in the girls’ hands, and even Amber found it hard to hide her interest.

“Something to remember the show by.” Dante said, smiling. “A crystal flower for each of you…except for you, Hildegard, you get an ice flower.”

He chucked the cold ice flower at Hildegard and scored a hit on her forehead before it landed in her lap. Hildegard growled but Clio patted her hand to calm her down. Dante laughed and gave the girls a bow.

“That’s it for the show girls. I hope you have a good, peaceful night.” He said.

“Wow, no wonder you’re so smitten with him, Sofia.” Jade smiled, running her fingers over the green crystal flower. “He’s amazing.”

“I’m not smitten with him!” Sofia hissed.

“That’s what they all say.” Ruby sang.

As the girls got up from their pillows, James entered the ballroom. “Hey guys, I-“

“Prince James!” Ruby and Jade squealed in unison. They scrambled to their feet and ran for him in a fangirlish frenzy, spouting out a flurry of questions and praises that even James wasn’t prepared for.

“Ruby, Jade, wait!” Sofia called out, her heart sinking as they bumped into the chocolate milk fountain and it started to tip over. “No!”

“Frigis!”

Dante quickly chanted a spell and exhaled, his breath turning into an icy wind that washed over the fountain and froze it into solid ice. The chocolate milk that had spilled out had immediately frozen solid, and was now the only thing keeping the frosted over fountain from hitting the floor. Dante walked over to the newly made frozen sculpture and broke off a piece of frozen chocolate. He plopped it into his mouth and smiled.

“Mmm, iced chocolate.” Dante hummed. “Anyone want some?”

Clio almost raised her hand, but Hildegard pushed it down and gave her a look. “No, Dante, we’re good.”

“Huh, if I knew your royal slumber party was this exciting, I’d have asked to join earlier.” James grinned.

“What do you want, James?” Amber growled.

“Mom and dad said that everything’s ready in the ballroom for dancing.” James said.

“Good, maybe we can spend five minutes having a decent slumber party without something going wrong.” Amber and her friends walked away, but not before giving Ruby and Jade a frosty glare.

Sofia sighed and began picking up the pillows to put to the side. James walked over to her, sucking on a piece of frozen chocolate he snatched up from Dante’s frozen fountain.

“You okay, Sof?” He asked.

“No,” She groaned. “My friends are ruining the party.”

“Really? Looks like everything’s going great to me.” James said brightly. “This is probably the most exciting thing to ever happen at Amber’s slumber parties.”

“And that’s saying something after the last most exciting thing was Mona trying to eat Hildegard’s minx.” Dante remarked.

“You two don’t get it, my friends have been messing up everything since they got here.” Sofia said. James raised a brow.

“Says who?”

“Amber, Hildegard, Clio.” She listed off and sighed.

“So? Who cares what they think?”

“Everyone!” Sofia exclaimed.

“Sofia, Amber’s hardly a role model to look up to for holding princess parties.” Dante said. “Forget what she thinks about them. What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” She answered tiredly. Dante and James shared a look as Sofia walked over to her friends.

“Sofia, we are so sorry.” Ruby apologized profusely.

“We didn’t mean to knock the fountain over.” Jade said.

“I know you didn’t, though I don’t think you scored any points with Amber.” Sofia said. “Anyway, everyone’s heading over to the ballroom for the last activity of the night—ballroom dancing.”

“Dancing? Sweet, I love to dance!” Jade said, her mood lightning up slightly.

“But before we go, there’s some things I want to go over.”

“Uh, okay.” Ruby said confused. “What’s up?”

“Here’s the thing, I want you to fit in with the princesses, and you want to fit in too, right?” She asked.

“Yeah, we look just like princesses, don’t we?” Jade asked, running a hand down her dress.

“Yes, you do, but that’s not all. You have to act like princesses too.” Sofia explained, much to the confusion of her friends. “You see, princesses don’t talk so much, or laugh so loud, or…make so many messes.”

Jade narrowed her eyes. “We talk too much?”

“We laugh too loudly?” Ruby repeated.

“We were just having fun, Sofia.” Jade said defensively. Ruby put a hand on her shoulder and looked at Sofia.

“But we understand if we’ve been a little too…rowdy.” Ruby said. “We didn’t realize we were causing so many problems. We promise to rein it in a bit.”

“That’s great!” Sofia smiled and hugged her friends. “Thank you, guys!”

She was so happy about things going smoothly for once, she missed the uneasy looks her friends had.

XXXXXX

The final activity of the night was ballroom dancing. It was self-explanatory really, the girls would dance in tandem to the music. The activity was mainly a way of testing out their dancing skills, a bit of quick practicing, for a princess was always prepared. Amber had been teaching Sofia how to properly dance since her first ball, and she had been steadily getting better.

The same couldn’t be said for Ruby and Jade.

The two girls tried to follow Sofia’s lead, not saying anything and acting just like Amber and her friends, but dancing quietly in a circle without doing anything else quickly got boring for them. So they sat on the side for the rest of the activity, watching the princesses dance together.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not having fun anymore.” Jade said.

“Same here.” Ruby agreed with a sigh. “If this is what being a princess is like, then count me out.”

“And do a final spin…” Amber instructed Sofia and her little sister performed the move smoothly, making her smile. “Very good, Sofia, you’re getting better at this.”

“Thanks.” Sofia smiled. Slowly the music came to an end and they stopped dancing. “So what else-“

“Sofia?” Ruby and Jade walked up to her. “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” Sofia left Amber to talk with her friends in private. “What’s up?”

“Sofia, we want to go home.” Jade said. Ruby nodded in agreement.

“What?” Sofia said shocked. “Why?”

“We’re not having any fun.” Jade answered, crossing her arms.

“But you’re finally fitting in!” Sofia said. “And the best thing is that you’re not embarrassing me anymore.”

“We’re embarrassing you?!” Ruby exclaimed. Sofia froze, realizing what she just said.

“Sofia, I’m sorry if we talk too much and laugh too loudly for your fancy new friends,” Jade growled, spitting the word out. “But we like to talk and we like to laugh!”

“Yeah!” Ruby said.

“And if you can’t handle that now that you’re a princess, then maybe we just aren’t good enough friends for you.” Jade shoved her crystal flower into Sofia’s hand and marched away.

“W-Wait, Jade!” Sofia stammered, her voice choking up as Ruby shoved her own crystal flower into her other hand. She stood there in shock watching her two friends leave the ballroom and went to get them before someone grabbed her hand.

“Let them go, Sofia.” Hildegard said, leading her along. “You’re a princess. One of us, now. You don’t need them anymore.”

“Yes, I do!” Sofia pulled away from Hildegard and ran after her friends.

“Let her go, Hildy.” Amber sighed. “No need to make things more complicated.”

XXXXXX

“Ruby, Jade?” Sofia ran into the observatory calling out to her friends, but to her dismay they were long gone. Sofia felt tears pick at her eyes and she sat on one of the beds with her head in her hands. “Oh no…”

The elevator lift dinged and out walked Miranda, who looked concerned at her daughter. “Sofia, did something happen? Jade just came to me asking to go home.”

“I don’t know what happened, mom. I told Ruby and Jade to act more like the princesses.” Sofia said, wiping at her eyes. “I just wanted them to fit in with Amber and her friends, but all I did was make them feel bad.”

Miranda nodded and sat next to Sofia. “It seems to me that the person not acting like a princess is you, Sofia.”

“Me?”

“Sofia, being a princess means treating people the right way.” She said, rubbing Sofia’s back. “If someone’s your friend, then you should like them exactly how they are instead of trying to have them act differently. Remember how out of place you felt when you first came here?”

Sofia nodded sadly. “Yeah, I felt uncomfortable with all the new rules I had to learn.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I messed up. I ruined everything for them.”

“You can still make it up to them, Sofia. The first step is saying that you’re sorry. It’s never too late for that.” Miranda looked at the clock. “In fact, it’s not too late to catch them now before they leave. You better hurry or you’ll miss them.”

“I will, thanks, mom!” Sofia said determined and gave her mom a quick hug before running off to head downstairs and fix this mess before she lost her friends forever.

XXXXXX

Sofia ran out of the castle and out into the courtyard, making a straight line for Ruby and Jade as they were heading for the wagon.

“Ruby, Jade, wait up!” She called out to them. “Please don’t leave!”

Sofia ran like a bat out of hell and skidded to a stop in front of the girls, not caring about the cold night air blowing over her nightgown. She winced at the glares she received from Ruby and Jade.

“Why? I thought we were embarrassing you?” Jade huffed.

“You weren’t! I’m so sorry for trying to make you be something you weren’t. I was just so caught up in making everyone get along and I didn’t care to think how you two would feel. You two are perfect just the way you are, and the best friends anyone could ever have.” Sofia said with as much honesty as she could muster. “I thought that by making you act like princesses, Amber and her friends would accept you better, but if the cost is losing my friendship with you two, then it’s not worth it. I don’t know what I would do if I lost both of you.”

Jade’s glare softened when she saw how earnest Sofia was, and was a bit taken aback by the light sheen of tears in Sofia’s eyes. There were some girls who could fake crocodile tears to get what they want, and Sofia was not one of them. If she was being moved to tears over this, then she was serious about changing.

“Let’s start over. The night’s still young and we can still have our slumber party.” Sofia promised. “Just the three of us.”

Ruby and Jade traded glances, before Ruby cracked a smile. “I don’t know…”

“I’ll even have Dante throw us another magic show for us, and I’ll let you keep the dresses and tiaras as a present from me.” Sofia said and held out two crystal roses—one red and one green. “All I want is to have a slumber party with my best friends…the right way.”

At this, the girls finally cracked and rushed to give Sofia a hug. Sofia smiled as she felt Jade gently rub her back to calm her down, the same way she did whenever she cried as a little girl.

“I love you guys so much.” Sofia laughed.

“We know, Sofia.” Jade said back. “We love you too.”

XXXXXX

Back in the observatory Amber, Hildegard and Clio were lying on their beds enjoying the first moment of peace and quiet they had for the entire night.

“Finally,” Amber sighed, laying her head on her pillow and closing her eyes. “It’s just us princesses again.”

“I can actually hear myself think again.” Hildegard smiled.

The two girls waited for Clio to agree with them, but they heard nothing. Hildegard opened her eyes and saw that Clio was sitting up looking a bit…bored.

“You know, Sofia’s friends weren’t that bad, even though they were a bit clumsy.” Clio admitted. “Those pinecones they decorated looked really pretty.”

The girls laid in their beds in silence until they heard a faint noise coming from the downstairs. Hildegard frowned and sat up in her bed.

“What’s that noise?” She asked. “Is that…laughing?”

Downstairs in Sofia’s room, the three friends were giggling and clapping, with brightly colored pinecones in their hair watching Dante juggle flaming pinecones in his hands. The young mage had his own pinecones tied into his hair, painted deep red (his favorite color, much to Ruby’s delight) and he was grinning like a madman as she ran around the room with his flaming dragon trailing behind him.

“I didn’t know you could juggle.” Sofia laughed.

“I’m a man of many talents, Sofia.” Dante grinned, not even flinching as the burning pinecones passed over his head. “You should see me turn a broomstick into a snake. That was a fun day at church.”

“Could you teach me how to do that?” Ruby asked eagerly. Jade looked at her surprised.

“Ruby!”

“What? I want to learn something to show off at school on Monday.” Ruby smiled.

Their fun was interrupted by a knock at the door. Dante extinguished the flames and looked to the door, though Sofia wasn’t concerned. In fact, she even looked a bit cheeky.

“I wonder who could it be at this late hour.” Sofia said loudly.

The door creaked open a bit and Amber’s face poked through the opening, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing.

“Hey, girls. I, I mean, we,” Amber opened the door further to show Hildegard and Clio standing behind her looking sheepish. “We heard some laughing coming from the room and we wanted to see if you girls were doing alright.”

“Oh we’re doing just fine, Amber.” Sofia said. “In fact, we’re having a great time.”

“Really?” Amber frowned.

“Yup. What about you guys?” She asked.

“Ah, yeah, we’re, um…we’re doing….” Amber looked away, pulling on a lock of her hair. She didn’t want to lie, but she also didn’t want to come out and admit it. “Uh…it’s different…?”

“Amber, your party isn’t any fun without Ruby and Jade there, isn’t it?” Sofia asked.

“Oh god, yes, Sofia!” Amber cried out, pushing the doors open and flooding into the room. “We’re so bored and everything’s too quiet and dull now and we’re so bored without the three of you!”

Sofia tapped her chin and crossed her arms. “I don’t know…Ruby, Jade, what do you think?”

Ruby and Jade traded cheeky grins and stood up. “They can join us.” Jade nodded.

“The more the merrier.” Ruby said. “Dante?”

“Here’s a flaming pinecone, ladies.” Dante tossed a flaming pinecone to Amber, who caught it with a raised eyebrow.

“Dante, why is this pinecone on fire?” Amber asked.

“Because I’m juggling flaming pinecones.” He replied.

“And why are you juggling flaming pinecones?”

“Because I’m teaching Sofia and her friends how to juggle them.”

Amber, Hildegard and Clio looked at Dante before the blonde princess shrugged and tossed the burning pinecone back to him. “Screw it, you only live once. Show us your stuff, magic man.”

Dante smirked. “With pleasure, Amber.”

And so the six princesses spent the rest of their slumber party together, having fun and being irresponsible with Dante’s magical flaming pinecones and doing weird dances and making their own weird music. For the first time that night, everyone was having fun, not having to worry about how to act or how to have fun. There were no peasant girls or princesses, there were just six girls having fun by themselves without a care in the world.

Until Baileywick learned that Dante was playing with fire in Sofia’s room. That sparked a conversation no one was eager to have.


	5. Our Lady Underground

Chapter 5-Our Lady Underground

As fun as it was with all the magic and excitement in her life, Sofia forgot how wonderful it was to just spend the day with her brother and sister and enjoy the quiet times in life.

Sofia sat on the soft grass reading a book while Amber and James were playing kick ball. They were out in the grassy hillside behind the castle, right next to a river that ran through the forest down below. The early autumn weather was still warm enough that it was nice to sit outside every once in a while.

“Ow! James, don’t kick the ball so hard, you almost knocked off my tiara!”

“Then don’t wear a tiara while playing ball. It’s not advanced mathematics, Amber.”

“How dare you tell me not to wear a tiara!” Amber exclaimed, adjusting the little trinket on her head. “This is my kickball tiara and it’d be improper for me not to wear it while playing kickball!”

Sofia cracked a smile at her siblings’ antics. It was amazing at how used she had gotten to listening to them squabble. Almost a month ago she’d never would’ve imagined having the prince and princess of Enchancia as siblings, and now she honestly didn’t know what it’d be like not growing up around them.

“Sof, head’s up!” She heard James call out.

“Huh?” Sofia looked up to see the ball heading right for her. “Ah!”

She ducked down and the ball sailed over her head and bounced down the hill towards the river. Amber and James ran over to her.

“Oh my gosh, Sofia, are you okay?” Amber asked. “I didn’t mean to put so much power into my Princess Power Kick!”

“I’m fine, Amber.” Sofia chuckled. “That was a nice kick, though.”

“Yeah, it sent our ball all the way down the hill.” James said, looking over the edge.

Sofia followed his gaze and saw the ball sitting at the bottom of the hill, by a rocky outcropping that sat just a little ways off from the river.

“It didn’t fall into the cave. I can go down and get it.” Sofia closed her book and stood up, but Amber grabbed her wrist before she could leave.

“Wait, Sofia, you want to go down there? Alone?” Amber asked with raised eyebrows.

“Um, yes.” Sofia answered, confused. “Why? Is it dangerous?”

“She doesn’t know about the trolls, Amber. No need to scare her.” James said. Sofia looked at him surprised.

“Trolls? There are trolls in the castle?”

“_Under _the castle.” Amber corrected. “There’s an entire clan of trolls that live in the caves under the castle. They’ve lived there for generations.”

“No one’s really been down there, at least, no human has ever been near the cave.” James explained. He looked down the hill with a frown. “I can go with you if you want.”

“That’s okay, James. I got this.” Sofia smiled and ran down the hill, ignoring her siblings’ protests.

Sofia almost tripped a couple of times in her heeled shoes (they were only slightly more comfortable than when she first started wearing them, but she was still getting used to the heels) but she made it down to the foot of the hill, where a dirt path led towards a small opening at the bottom of the hill that looked just barely large enough for an adult to squeeze through.

Sofia looked around for the ball but could not find it anywhere. She hummed and looked back at the crack in the rocks where she saw the ball bounce. Surely it couldn’t have just fallen into the hole, right?

She walked up to the crack and peered inside. As expected, it was dark and she could barely see more than a few inches inside. That also meant that she couldn’t see the ball either?

‘I hope it hadn’t fallen into the river.’ Sofia thought.

Just then, as she was pulling back from the hole, something else came into her sights. It was an eye, big and bright green, like deep emerald. It blinked once as Sofia screamed and jumped back in fright, quickly running back up the hill as fast as she could.

Whoever that was, they can have the ball!

XXXXXX

That evening, the royal family were having dinner and talking about their day. It was a normal affair though Sofia still had her mind on the figure she saw in that cave earlier.

“Now that dinner’s finished, who’s ready for some jiggly wiggly pudding?” Miranda asked.

“I am!” James said.

“Me too! I mean,” Roland cleared his throat as said more calmly, “Me too.”

As desert was being served, Sofia waited for a few minutes before asking something that was on her mind. “Dad, what do you know about trolls?”

“Trolls?” Roland, who had been about to tuck into his pudding with gusto, looked at her strangely. “What do you mean?”

“Well, earlier today when I was playing with Amber and James, I saw a troll in the cave down by the hill below the castle. Where the river is?”

“You saw a troll?” Roland exclaimed.

“Well, it was just a glimpse, really.” Sofia said, starting to regret saying anything.

“Trolls?” Miranda blinked. “We have trolls in the castle?”

“Not in the castle, but inside the caves that run under the castle and into the forest. They’ve lived there for generations. Everyone knows that.” He explained. Looking at Miranda and Sofia’s puzzled expressions, he asked, “Don’t tell me you two don’t know the story about King Gideon and the trolls? It’s an old story.”

“I’ve only moved to Enchancia a few months before Sofia was born. I don’t really know all the old stories that well.” Miranda admitted.

“Oh, can I tell the story, dad?” James asked.

“Go ahead, James.”

“A century ago the caves under the castle used to belong to the dwarves, who were in a trade agreement with King Gideon, who was the reigning king back then. For some reason, the dwarves left the caves without so much as a goodbye, leaving them empty. Ten years later, the trolls moved into the caves and everything was peaceful for a time.” James said. He went to continue, but an impatient Amber cut him off.

“But one night, King Gideon woke up to a loud noise and went to investigate. It was the trolls, and they were rampaging through the castle smashing and taking whatever they could find!” She said. “The soldiers chased the trolls from the castle and back into their caves, but not without the trolls stealing any riches they could get their hands on.”

“Following the incident, King Gideon proclaimed that the trolls shall remain within the caves and shall never return to the surface ever again.” Roland concluded. “So far, the trolls have respected this decree, though I still have guards patrolling the area every now and then.”

“But why were the trolls stealing all that jewelry and gold?” Sofia asked. “That sounds more like something dwarves would do.”

“Actually, dwarves make their own jewelry and gold trinkets from the ore they mine within their underground homes.” James said looking proud of himself. “They don’t need to steal anything.”

“Where did you learn that, James?” Amber asked smirking.

“I know a couple of things myself, Amber.” He replied. “I pay attention in class.”

Amber gave him a look. “Dante?”

“…Dante.” He muttered.

“Nobody knows why they stole all that stuff, Sofia, but the fact is that they caused a lot of damage while they were here.” Roland said. “Sofia, I don’t want you going down there again. Who knows how those trolls might react to a human wandering around near their cave.”

“Okay.” Sofia nodded. Still, that eye she saw earlier looked more curious than violent, though she could never know.

XXXXXX

Sofia awoke the next morning sleeping cuddled up against the window in the soft window seat beside it. As much as she loved her bed, sometimes it felt nice just sleeping in something that didn’t swallow up her entire body. As the sun rose into the sky on a clear Saturday morning, Sofia awoke to the sound of birds chirping…and a cat purring.

“Good morning, Mona.” Sofia yawned.

“Mornin’, Sof.” Mona grumbled, still mostly asleep.

Sofia opened her eyes and glanced down at the spot where she could see Mona’s tail peaking from under the window seat. “Mona, you’re still asleep? You’re usually up before I am.”

“She spent most of the night playing around with that accursed ball of yours before passing out.” Said Rhea, who had been sleeping atop Sofia’s wardrobe. She ruffled her feathers and looked over to Sofia. “She fell asleep a little over an hour ago.”

“Oh, Mona.” Sofia shook her head at the unconscious cat and hopped off the window seat. “What am I going to do with…”

She trailed off when she saw her bright red ball, which she thought she lost beside the cave, sitting right beside Mona’s head. She knelt down and picked it up, noticing that it was covered in dust, as if it were rolling around in the dirt.

“Rhea, when did Mona find this?” Sofia asked.

“In the middle of the night, when you were sleeping. When I got here I saw her already playing with it as if you weren’t sleeping right beside her.” Rhea said. “Honestly, I leave that cat to spend some time with my kin and she acts like a rabid feline.”

“What were you doing last night?” Sofia asked curiously.

“Spending the night with some barn owls. They may act prim and proper, but they throw some really extravagant forest raves.” Rhea replied.

“Raves?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older, dear.” The eagle pointed her wing to Sofia’s bed. “Oh, and Mona said that she found those little things with the ball beside your bed.”

Sofia looked over to her bed and found a small pile of glittering stones sitting on the floor. She hurried over to them and gasped when she saw that they were crystals. Beautiful little prismatic stones that looked like they were dug up from the earth itself. Each crystal was large enough to match the diamond necklaces Amber wore on certain occasions.

“How did these get here? I lost that ball by the cave…” Sofia’s eyes went wide as she realized that someone might have brought the ball back to her in the night.

Was it the trolls?

Rhea looked at Sofia curiously as the girl ran into her wardrobe and snatched up her dress before hiding behind a dressing screen to get dressed. “Sofia, what is the matter? Is something wrong?”

“I’m just going to check up on something, Rhea.” Sofia said.

“This early in the morning?” Rhea blinked.

“I won’t be long. I’m just going to check up on something, okay?” Sofia assured her. “You two be good while I’m gone.”

Mona simply purred in her sleep, giving only a lazy wavy of her paw as Sofia ran back out in her light purple dress. Rhea looked a bit concerned, but decided to trust the girl to not get into any trouble.

XXXXXX

After explain to her parents that she was going to spend some time outside helping Dante with his research, Sofia quickly made her way to the fields behind the castle, and down the hill. As expected, the cave was still there, unguarded and dark as it was yesterday.

Sofia stood at the mouth of the cave twiddling her fingers nervously. It was dark and cold, and she knew her dress wasn’t going to be pristine after this. She was a bit nervous about going into a cave full of supposedly violent trolls, but there was something about that story she was told that just didn’t seem right. A troll that stole jewels shouldn’t be nice enough to risk being caught just to return her ball to her.

“Hello?” Sofia called out into the cave. “Mr. Troll? Are you down here?”

Sofia waited for a couple of minutes before taking a deep breath and moving forward into the cave. As she went deeper into the cave, where the dirt path sloped downwards, the air became cooler and slightly damper. All she could hear were her footsteps against the cold ground.

After a few minutes of walking, Sofia found herself standing on the edge of a wide gorge that was connected to the other side by an old wooden bridge. She took a glance down into the gorge and gulped at the long, long drop below. She couldn’t even see the bottom!

‘I really hope that there really are trolls down here or I’m going to regret this for at least a week.’ Sofia thought. Planting one foot onto the bridge, and wincing from the ominous groan it made from her weight, Sofia slowly stepped onto the bridge and edged forward.

“Is anyone here?” She called out again, steadily inching further onto the bridge, which began to creak more.

“Careful!” Someone shouted, making Sofia scream. A cold hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back off the bridge with astounding strength.

Sofia grunted as she landed on her back and coughed a bit before opening her eyes. Standing above her was a face. A small, green face.

“You should be careful, princess. That bridge hasn’t been used in years and it’s very unstable.”

Sofia blinked up at the green figure standing before her. He definitely wasn’t human, standing no shorter than her elbow, and had green skin. His clothes were surprisingly clean despite living inside a cave, but his hands and feet were larger than a human’s and completely bare. His eyes were hazel and big on his face, and his long hair was tied back in a ponytail. Where all trolls as nicely groomed as him?

“Wait…” Sofia realized what she was staring at. “You’re a troll. I saw you yesterday when I came looking for my ball.”

“The name’s Gnarly. Pleased to meet you, Princess.” Gnarly smiled.

“I’m Sofia,” Sofia got to her feet and almost giggled at how shorter Gnarly was next to her. “You’re the one who gave my back to me. How’d you do that?”

“Oh they’re plenty of old passageways in the castle that no one knows about. I felt bad for scaring you, so I returned your ball.” Gnarly said. “I even left a few crystals with it as an apology.”

“Yes, I saw them. Thank you for those too.” Sofia said. “I can’t believe there are real trolls living down here. I only heard about you all last night.”

“Oh we’ve lived here for four generations. These caves used to belong to the dwarves, but they left for…reasons.” Gnarly looked away for a few seconds before looking back up Sofia. “Let me show you where my people live. We’ve never had a human down here in ages, and I’m sure my friends will love you!”

Sofia smiled and followed Gnarly away from the bridge over to the narrow staircase carved out of the rock that led downwards.

“Watch your step. These stairs are a bit slippery.” Gnarly warned her.

Sofia followed him down the stairs and deeper into the caves. When she reached the bottom, she gasped at the large cavern that held numerous small dwellings that looked to be carved from the earth itself. The cavern was illuminated by numerous glowing crystals that sprouted from the walls and ground like plants, but as Sofia looked up she was struck speechless by the dazzling array of sparkling white crystals dotting the cave ceiling.

“Oh my gosh,” She gasped. “Those stones look like stars!”

“Those are lightstones.” A little voice said from behind Sofia.

Sofia looked down and saw a cute little troll girl standing by Gnarly’s feet. “Oh, hello there. What’s your name?”

“Teeny.” The girl said shyly. Sofia giggled and nodded to her.

“Nice to meet you, Teeny.” She smiled.

“Our tribe’s been collecting lightstones for centuries just so that we can put them up on the cave ceiling. They look like stars, and my people have always loved staring up at the night sky to look at the stars on really clear nights.” Gnarly said.

“If you love stars so much, then why don’t you just go outside at night to see them?” Sofia asked. Gnarly frowned and shook his head.

“It’s too risky. Trolls turn to stone when exposed to sunlight, and we can’t even go outside to see the stars at night because of the king’s soldiers patrolling the area.” He said, looking a bit sad at that. “It’s a shame, because my grandparents would tell me stories about how the night sky would look like one bright canvas of twinkling lights.”

“Yes, stars are amazing at night.” Sofia agreed. Then she thought of something. “Wait, you said that you only come out to look at stars?”

Gnarly nodded. “Yeah, it’s our favorite pastime.”

“Then why did the trolls sneak into the castle and steal all that stuff?” She asked. “You don’t seem like the type of people to plunder villages or loot castles.”

When she mentioned that, the two trolls’ moods took a drastic change. Gnarly and Teeny both looked away, noticeably uncomfortable about the topic.

“It’s not like we wanted to steal all those things.” Gnarly said, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s just that we…we didn’t have much of a choice.”

Sofia frowned and knelt down so that she was giving Gnarly her full attention. “What do you mean?”

Gnarly would’ve said more, but he looked up at the mouth of the cave and saw that the sunlight was pouring through the entrance.

“Sofia, you better get back to the surface. I’m sure your family is wondering where you are.” He said.

Sofia knew he was deflecting her question, but considering how long she had been inside the cave, it’d probably be best if she went back home before anyone started looking for her. Teeny toddled over to her and took her hand, looking up at her with a big smile.

“I can show her back.” She offered. “I’m a big girl. I know the way to the entrance.”

“We’ll both show her the way. I don’t want you running out into the sunlight.” Gnarly said. “It’s been great having you here, Sofia. I’ve never met a human up close before, but you’re one of the nicest humans I’ll probably ever meet in person.”

“And you’re the nicest troll I’ve ever met for the first time, Gnarly.” Sofia returned with a smile. She let Teeny pull her along before realizing that they were going in the opposite direction of the stairs. A simple spin of the little troll girl by Sofia steered the little girl back to where they needed to go. “Is it alright if I come back to visit you again?”

“Sure, but you have to be careful. I’m not sure if some of the other trolls will be happy to see a human inside the cave.” Gnarly said.

“Got it. I’ll be careful.” Sofia said. She just made a new and unique friend and there was no way she was going to put him at risk.

XXXXXX

Dante could feel his legs beginning to cramp from remaining crouched for so long, but he wouldn’t dare move an inch as he stared at the faint glimmers of light that danced across the daisies in the royal garden. Mona sat at his feet also watching the lights, but her stare was a bit hungrier than Dante’s.

It may seem like Dante was looking at tiny insects on the flower, but his focus was on something more elusive—pixies. They were diminutive faeries that liked to hang around plants like flowers and such, mingling with the tiny insects and animals that were often overlooked. Pixies, in their natural state, existed as beings of pure energy and were often invisible to the human eye, but Dante, for reasons he couldn’t understand, was able to see the faint outline of their shimmering forms dancing amongst the daisies disguised as beams of sunlight. Not that he was complaining, this gave him plenty of time to study them out in the wild.

‘Those hacks at Hexley Hall are going to freak when I send them my notes.’ Dante thought with a grin.

“Dante!”

Dante cursed under his breath as the unexpected shout made the pixie stumble in her dance and look around panicked before vanishing in a burst of sparkles, which blew into his face and made him sneeze. He grumbled angrily and looked up to see Sofia running into the garden.

‘She’s lucky she’s cute.’ He thought before plastering a smile on his face. “Sofia, what’s up? I haven’t seen you all morning. Where have you been?”

“That…is a secret.” Sofia said coyly. “But it does have something to do with what I have to ask you.”

“Better be worth chasing away that stupid faery.” Mona grumbled. She and Dante spent an hour and a half in this stupid garden chasing after a near invisible pixie.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you two in the middle of something?” Sofia asked.

“No, no, we were just milling about, waiting for Cedric to bungle again.” Dante said and turned to give the princess his full attention. “What do you want to ask, Sofia?”

“Well, I was just curious about trolls. I wanted to ask Mr. Cedric about them, but I knew he was busy, so…”

“That’s all you wanted to know? Nothing else?” Dante raised an eyebrow at Sofia, who definitely looked like she wanted to say more. Deciding to humor her, he answered her question. “Well, much of my knowledge on trolls is rudimentary stuff. They’re an earth-based species of faery that live underground because sunlight turns their flesh into stone. They’re generally neutral towards humans, though I have heard a few stories of trolls extorting people, but those are few and far between. I hear their hands and feet are as hard as leather for digging through the hard earth, and they’re very agile thanks to their small bodies.”

Sofia nodded, having noticed that Gnarly’s hands and feet were a bit larger than a human’s. “Do you know if they, um, steal things?”

“Steal?” Dante said confused.

“Yes, like gold and jewels. That kind of stuff.” Sofia said.

“Well, trolls don’t put much stock in that stuff like dwarves do. Trolls are just content with living in the darkness and having their own lives, just like us humans.” Dante said. “If you see trolls stealing things it’s either because they’re doing it for a very specific reason or someone is making them do it.”

“I see.” Sofia muttered.

Dante studied her expression before asking, “Is this about the trolls that live underneath the castle? James told me that you and the queen heard the story for the first time.”

“Yeah, and I was just curious about them. I mean, I’ve never met any faeries before.” Sofia said. “Aside from that Undine in the school fountain.”

“Did they ever get her out of there?” Dante asked.

“No, Headmistress Sophie said something about legal issues or something.” Sofia answered.

Dante and Mona shared an unamused look.

“Anyway, thanks for the help, Dante. Sorry to have bothered you.” Sofia gave him that big smile that Dante loved seeing and he bowed his head.

“I’m always happy to help you, Sofia. Anything for a friend.” He said.

He kept his smile all the way until she was gone from the gardens, and then he dropped it. Sofia probably should’ve cleaned her dress up before coming to him talking about trolls. Her question and the dirt on the bottom of her skirt made it easy for him to figure out what she had been doing this morning.

“Mona,” Dante looked to his cat. “Do you think Sofia might have gotten involved in something that could end badly for her?”

Mona looked up at him and meowed.

“Yeah, me too.”

XXXXXX

King Magnar of the trolls had lived a long time. He had seen and experienced many things in his long life, some big, some small. He was a fair ruler who fought hard to ensure his people could survive and live long and happy lives in this ever changing world. The human population grows each day across the world, more powerful faeries are awakening and clashing against the fair folk that simply want to live undisturbed, the world was becoming more and more dangerous, and he needed to take his people’s safety into account.

But every time he walked down the crystal-laced tunnels leading to the ruins of the dwarven shrine he felt an air of dread fall over him. If he had a choice, he’d never go into this chamber again, but alas he had no choice, and his people’s survival depended on whether or not their guardian could be appeased.

The old troll king exited the tunnel into a massive cavern that was clearly man-made. This was the deepest part of the cave network created by the dwarves. Their innermost sanctuary where the guardian rested, having settled there for centuries before the dwarves left. The chamber was spherical, with the walls smooth and polished, lined with veins of metallic ore that seemed almost engraved into the stone itself.

In the center of the chamber was a massive throne, and sitting on that throne was a stone woman. She stood twenty feet tall, her skin as hard and stony as it appeared at first glance. She had long white hair tied into braids and the upper part of her face was hidden behind a large horned helmet. Her long dress looked to be made of spun gold and silver, but did not hide her strong form.

As the king approached the throne of the fabled guardian, a pair of red eyes gleamed behind her helm and she glared down at the tiny troll standing before her.

“You call, Lady Fehu?” King Magnar said, bowing low.

**“There has been a disturbance in my cave, little troll.” **Fehu said. Each movement she made was slow, even when she spoke, but her voice was loud enough to make the chamber tremble. **“I sensed an intruder…a human.” **

“A human?” Magnar said shocked. “M-My lady, that cannot be. The humans above have no reason to—“

**“Are you doubting me, troll?” **Fehu’s red eyes glared down at him, narrowing in scorn. King Magnar immediately cowed, not seeking to incur the wrath of this powerful being.

“No, my lady.” He said. There was no way a human would willingly go into the troll’s cave without good reason. Or if a troll had showed them the way.

**“One of your own had brought that human down here. A girl from the castle above, though she is not of royal blood.” **Fehu continued after a couple of tense moments. **“In her possession is a powerful object that draws upon the energy of this land. Bring her to me.”**

“My lady, that will cause the royal family to attack us. We have sworn not to bother each other since that night…”

**“Either you bring that girl here, or I bury your filthy little village underneath ten tons of solid rock.” **Fehu growled. **“We are the fae folk. The true gods of this land. We do not cow before humans, who cannot hope to match us without their trinkets and mechanical toys.” **

“I meant that if we invoke the wrath of the humans, it’ll mean that we won’t be able to get any of their metals for you.” Magnar said. “And that would be bad in your condition.”

Fehu was silent for a minute before she spoke again. **“I see your point. Clever excuse for a troll, but you do make sense. I will refrain from apprehending the girl…for now.”**

Magnar bowed. “Thank you, Lady Fehu.”

He personally had nothing against the humans. After all, the only reason King Gideon had enforced that ban on them was because they were doing Fehu’s dirty work in stealing gold and jewels for her. She was an ancient faery, and her body required a certain amount of minerals and metal ore to maintain her physical form. Magnar already lamented forcing his people to adhere to this monster’s demands, but he had to draw the line when involving human children, especially members of the Enchancian Royal Family.

Magnar turned to leave, but Fehu stopped him with one last command. **“Be sure to send in the troll who made contact with the human, troll. Gnarly was his name, yes? I want to have a word with him. Alone.” **

XXXXXX

“Sofia, are you feeling okay?”

Her father’s voice took Sofia from her thoughts and she looked up to see the concerned faces of her family at the dinner table. Sofia cleared her throat and gave them all a smile.

“I’m fine, dad. I just have some things on my mind.” Sofia said.

“Does it have to do with where you went this morning?” Amber questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow in Sofia’s direction. “Because your dress was covered in dust when you came back.”

“What were you doing to make your dress so dirty?” Miranda asked curiously.

“I was just…doing some exploring. The castle is sooo big and there are still some places I haven’t been to yet.” Sofia chuckled. She played around with her food for a minute before changing the subject. “So, dad, um, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Sofia, go right ahead.” Roland said. Sofia nodded and tried to think of how to go about this.

“Right, it’s about the trolls you told me about yesterday.” She began. “I had a talk with Dante about them and he said that trolls didn’t normally steal things unless they had a good reason.”

At this Roland’s back straightened up, suspicious as to what she was leading up to. Miranda and the twins were also curious, though Amber held her breath at what Sofia was going to say next.

“Dante told me that powerful faeries like to dominate and control less powerful species. So I thought that, could it be possible that the trolls that broke into the castle last time were maybe forced to do so by someone else?”

Sofia tried to maintain her innocent composure, she really did, but she wasn’t liking the analyzing look in her father’s eyes.

“Sofia, why are you asking this?” Roland questioned.

“I was just thinking about the story and how odd that a couple of trolls would just up and steal gold out of nowhere. Maybe they didn’t do it willingly.” Sofia continued. “Have you ever thought of that?”

Roland sighed and put his fork down. “Sofia, you have to realize that trolls are faeries, and faeries don’t have a high opinion of humans. Relations between our kind and theirs have been deteriorating over the past decade in Enchancia alone and in some other kingdoms the situation is even worse. They’re dangerous, Sofia.”

“But how do you know that?” She replied. “Have you met any trolls? Or any other faeries?”

“No, but I have seen the aftermath of what they can do when angered.” Roland said, his expression dark. It was clearly a memory he didn’t want to recall. “Sofia, I am saying this from experience. Faeries are dangerous no matter what species they are.”

“That’s not true! Gnarly’s not like that—“ Sofia realized what she said and quickly cut herself off. But it was too late.

“Gnarly? Who’s…” Roland trailed off when he made the connection. “Sofia, did you go back to that cave?”

Sofia looked away and didn’t answer.

“Answer me, Sofia.” Roland said sternly.

“One of the trolls returned the ball I had lost yesterday, so I went to thank him in person. Dad, he’s not as dangerous as you see them. His name is Gnarly and he’s really nice and kind.” Sofia said.

“You talked to a troll, Sof?” James said excitedly. “Sweet! What was it like being down there?”

Amber nudged him hard in the ribs and hissed, “Learn to read the mood, James.”

“Sofia I told you to stay away from that cave. It was dangerous to go wandering down there alone without anyone knowing.” Roland scolded her. “You could’ve been hurt or worse!”

“Wait, did you say that this troll returned your ball?” Miranda asked, looking a bit shaken. “Does that mean that he was in your room?”

“Baileywick!” Roland called out. His faithful steward was at his side in a heartbeat, knowing that tone well enough. “Assemble the castle guards. I want to speak to them.”

“As you command, your majesty.” Baileywick nodded and walked away to give the order.

“Dad, wait!” Sofia leapt out of her chair and grabbed his arm. “The trolls aren’t our enemy! I think they’re in trouble. They were forced by—“

“Sofia, this is not up for discussion. I can’t put everyone’s lives at risk based on hearsay from a troll. You disobeyed me and put yourself in great danger.” Roland said. He knelt down in front of her and held her hands. “I’m doing this to protect you, Sofia. I’ve seen what faeries can do when given the chance and I can’t allow that to happen to you or anyone else.”

Sofia tried to explain her theory to him, but Roland was already on his way to meet with the guards. She tried to chase after him, but Miranda held her back.

“Sofia, I think it’s time to go to your room.” Her mother whispered. “We’ll talk later.”

XXXXXX

Sofia sat by her window with a scowl on her face. The talk with her mother was more of a lecture from the queen while Sofia pointedly ignored her, still angry at being dismissed before she could say a word.

“Boy, you look positively livid.” Mona said from the floor. “I take it dinner turned sour?”

“All I wanted to do was convince dad that the trolls weren’t bad. They’re not dangerous, not in the way he thinks.” Sofia told her, slumping against the window. “I think Gnarly and his people are in trouble, Mona. Something’s not right and I think it’s only going to get worse.”

“Hmm, looks like you have a bit of a dilemma there.” Mona said. “You want to go see Dante tomorrow and have him meet the trolls with you?”

“Dad’s going to have the entrance to the troll village blocked off. There’s no way we can get back down there without him knowing.” Sofia sighed. She looked out the window with a sad expression that Mona definitely didn’t like on her face.

Then something hit the window, causing Sofia to jump back. A pebble. Then another pebble hit the window, thrown from the courtyard. Sofia pulled open her window and looked outside to see who threw it, but she could barely see in the darkness.

“Is someone there?” Sofia called out. She squinted out into the darkness and saw a small form standing just outside the courtyard. It took her a moment to make out who it was, but then she recognized the faint outline. “Gnarly?”

“Gnarly? Your troll friend?” Mona hopped onto the window seat and peered into the darkness. “What’s he doing over there?”

“I don’t know but he looks scared.” Sofia noted. Pursing her lips, she jumped to her feet and pulled on her robe over her nightgown. “I need to go warn him about dad. I don’t want him getting hurt because of me.”

“Sofia, I don’t think that’s a good idea—“ Mona tried to say, but Sofia was already out the door and down the hall. The cat cursed and ran after her, knowing that something wasn’t right about this.

XXXXXX

“Your majesty,” Dante called out to the king.” A word please?”

Roland turned away from the captain he was conversing with and nodded. “Ah, Dante. I was just about to look for you. Could you call for Cedric, please? I need you two to seal up the cave entrance to the troll’s cavern.”

“About that, your majesty,” Dante cleared his throat. “I need to speak to you about that. James told me what happened at dinner earlier.”

“Ah, that.” Roland frowned and muttered, “I really need to tell James that dinner conversations are private.”

“I heard that Sofia tried to convince you about the trolls.” Dante continued. “I get that you don’t trust trolls because of the feelings faeries in general have for humans, but I would advise that you…reconsider this approach.”

“Reconsider? Dante, I thought you of all people would support my decision. A troll had managed to sneak back into the castle and was in Sofia’s room without anyone noticing! Forgive me if I’m taking precautions to ensure that nothing happens to my daughter.”

“I’m well aware that you have good intentions, but maybe Sofia has a point. Trolls are not naturally violent against humans, even in this day and age. After hearing about what she did, I think that the trolls underground may actually be under the control of someone else.” Dante said.

“All the more reason to cut them off.” Roland said.

“But that won’t solve the problem. Please, your majesty, maybe we can try to help the trolls break free from whoever’s controlling them. This might be more serious than we think.” He urged. “There might possibly be something worse than trolls down in the caves.”

Roland saw how serious Dante was about this. He knew Cedric’s apprentice was a very thorough and dedicated boy and he was glad that Cedric’s heir would be a more competent royal sorcerer for his son. Seeing him this adamant about

“Have you consulted Cedric about this?” He asked.

Dante grimaced and looked at his feet. “I tried. He was sleeping.”

“At this hour?”

“He’s had a long day.” Dante shrugged. “Your majesty, I’m just trying to keep people from getting hurt. Let me go meet the trolls myself and—“

“MEOW!”

Dante and Roland jumped as a loud feline cry came from behind them and they looked down to see Mona racing towards them. The cat looked panicked and that alone sent alarm bells ringing in Dante’s head.

“Mona, what’s wrong?” Dante knelt down and tried to pick her up, but she dance away from his hands and motioned to the door with her tail.

The bond between a magician and their familiar was something that was still a bit difficult to understand, even by magic researchers. These mages couldn’t understand their familiars through physical language, but through a bond that allows them to read their familiar’s emotions. Dante had been with Mona long enough to know most of her expressions and he could tell through their bond that she wanted him to help someone. All it took was one look into her eyes to know who she wanted him to save.

“Dante?” Roland asked, feeling incredibly uneasy from the way Dante’s shoulders stiffened and shot to his feet.

“Your majesty we need to go,” Dante said. “Sofia’s in trouble and she needs our help!”

XXXXXX

Sofia had deftly avoided the guards that patrolled the halls and made it out into the castle courtyard. Seeing that no one was outside at this time of night, she sprinted through the yard and past the front gates, crossing the bridge to reach the grassy field where she was playing with Amber and James. Under the light of the moon she saw Gnarly standing out in the open, still waving at her vigorously.

“Gnarly, what’s wrong?” Sofia called out to him, getting more worried by the second. When she finally reached him, she grabbed his hand. “Has something happ-AH!”

She screamed as she felt his hand, which felt more like hard granite than flesh and bone. Sofia looked at Gnarly’s face and now saw that, under the light of the moon, it hardly looked like him at all. His entire body was just one large animated piece of stone covered in green moss and as soon as she touched him, the rock puppet began to crumble to dust before her eyes.

“Gnarly?!” She exclaimed.

“Sofia!”

She looked back and saw Dante and her father running through the fields after Mona, who was also screaming at her.

“Sofia get back! Something’s happening!” Mona yelled.

Her warning came too late, for the ground underneath her rippled and shook, sprouting a pair of large stone hands that grabbed hold of her little body. Sofia screamed, but was cut off when the hands dragged her underground just as Dante and Roland reached the hole she was dragged down into.

“Sofia!” Roland yelled in horror. He made to jump in after her but Dante stopped him before he could do it.

Dante made a sharp whistle and a dark shape came flying out of the sorcerer’s tower where Cerdic still laid sleeping. It was a large carpe that looked more expensive than the entirety of Cedric’s book collection. Dante and Roland hopped onto it and he turned to Mona.

“Stay up here and try to wake Cedric up. If things go downhill down there, we’ll need some extra help.” He instructed her.

Mona nodded and meowed as the king and apprentice descended into the large hole, quickly fading from sight in the darkness.

XXXXXX

Dante and Roland sat on the carpet as it made its fast descent down the hole, which went deeper than they realized. There was a chance that whatever took Sofia already had her in its clutches by now, which made getting her back harder.

“Dante, what was that thing that took Sofia?” Roland demanded, trying to remain stable on the carpet.

“No idea, but it was definitely no troll. I think it’s that big bad faery that might be behind this.” Dante said. “Apparently Sofia’s visit to the troll cave didn’t go unnoticed.”

Roland grimaced and looked down. He here was rushing into a cave of trolls to save Sofia and he had no weapons to even fight with. If they all got out of this alive, then he’d be surprised. Dante caught his look and did two hand signs, creating a long sword seemingly out of thin air.

“Here,” He handed the king the sword. “That should remain tangible for as long as I remain conscious. Though, I do hope you’ll leave the heavy lifting to me, your majesty.”

“Thank you, Dante.” Roland said gratefully. “Do you have a plan on how to save Sofia?”

“It depends on whether or not the trolls are as good as Sofia says they are. If they are just victims of a misunderstanding, then we can head straight to Sofia. If not…” Dante frowned. “I’m not looking forward to a fight. Cedric’s taught me plenty of offensive spells, but I won’t feel good about this.”

“I understand.” Roland said. Killing others, even other faeries, should never be taken lightly. “I will help you however I can. It’s the least I can do.”

Dante smiled. “Thank you, your majesty.”

They were silent for a minute before Roland realized something. “Wait…isn’t this carpet the same one I imported from Tangu last month—?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dante said quickly. “Oh look, we’re here!”

They finally reached the bottom of the hole, exiting it into a large cavern that was illuminated by bright white crystals embedded in the ground and walls. The enchanted carpet settled onto the ground and Dante and Roland jumped off, scanning the area.

“We must find Sofia as fast as possible. We’ll have to be quick and quiet about this or we’ll…”

“Your majesty!” Dante hissed.

Roland followed Roland’s gaze and tried not to let dismay appear on his face from seeing nearly the entire troll community standing there with their spears and stone swords pointed right at them. The two humans practically towered over the smaller, hunched forms of the nonhumans, but they were outnumbered and fighting a troll in its native habitat was not a good idea. At the front of the assembled group was King Magnar himself.

“King Roland.” Magnar nodded to Roland.

“King Magnar.” Roland replied in a steely tone. “Release my daughter at once or I will retrieve her by force!”

“I’m sorry, King Roland, but that is not possible. Your daughter has trespassed on the territory of our guardian deity Fehu and she seeks retribution.” Magnar said, looking honestly sympathetic to the king’s plight. “I did not want things to be like this. We have no quarrel with you or the humans above. We just want to live here in peace.”

“…She’s threatening you, isn’t she?” Dante said. “This Fehu has been enslaving all of you. Making you do her dirty work for her.”

Roland’s eyes widened as the troll king nodded. “Yes, that is true. We cannot leave as the dwarves did, so we are trapped here under her service. If we do not follow her commands, she will bring this entire cave down on us. I’ve lost too many of my people traveling to this land, humans. I can’t bear to lose any more of them again.”

‘My god, Sofia was right. They are in trouble.’ Roland thought astonished.

“Then let us help you. I’m a mage and I have the king of Enchancia with me. Together we can stop this guardian before she hurts Sofia or anybody else.” Dante pleaded.

“We are not powerful enough to face Fehu.” Magnar sighed defeated. “She’ll kill us all.”

“Let me do the heavylifting. I’ll take her out myself, but you all need to break free from this hold she has over you.” Dante said. “If not for me, then do it for the girl who saw you as more than just a band of thieves.”

Roland held his breath as a wave of silence fell over the trolls. King Magnar stared straight into Dante’s emerald eyes for several minutes before opening his mouth to give his answer.

XXXXXX

Sofia coughed heavily from the dust she inhaled, pushing her way out of the pile of dirt and rocks that were formerly the hands that dragged her underground. Once she caught her breath, she looked around, seeing the finely carved cave walls around her that definitely weren’t natural. She shakily got to her feet and looked around.

“Where am I?” She asked herself.

**“You are in my domain, human.” **A bellowing voice said behind her.

Sofia gasped and turned to see the gigantic form of Fehu sitting in her throne, looming above her like some grand statue. The earth faery’s red eyes glared down at her as she spoke, though even her lips seemed unmoving.

“Who are you?” Sofia asked.

**“I am Fehu, goddess of the earth all who live within it. And you are the girl who invaded my realm. Looking at you now, I can see why my underling is so taken with you. You are rather pretty…for a human.” **

“Underling…?” Sofia’s eyes widened. “Gnarly? Where is he? What did you do with him?”

Fehu waved her hand and the ground before Sofia opened up before spitting someone out. It was Gnarly, and he looked scared and exhausted.

“Gnarly!” Sofia ran over to him and helped him up. “Are you all right?”

“Princess…?” Gnarly groaned. When he realized that she was real, his eyes grew wide and he gripped her hands. “Princess, I’m so sorry! She made a copy of me to lure you down here and capture you! I had no idea…”

“I know, Gnarly. None of this was your fault.” Sofia said softly and glared up at the giant faery. “Is this how you rule these people? Through fear? How can you call yourself a guardian when the people you’re protecting are afraid of you?”

**“Do not lecture me on how to rule, human. The strong rule the weak, and I have made my mark on these lands for centuries before your pitiful race built a castle atop my abode. Without me these trolls would have been hunted down and killed ages ago. Without me, that moronic King Gideon would have slaughtered the lot of them and wore their skulls as trophies. Without me these pitiful creatures would be nothing!” **Fehu spat. **“The dwarves once worshipped me as their protector and they spat in my face when it was convenient for them.”**

“No, the dwarves left because they realized the danger you posed to them!” Gnarly yelled. “You see yourself as some goddess, but you’re just a tyrant no better than the humans you despise so much!”

Fehu stomped her foot and a group of crystals shot from the ground, knocking Sofia and Gnarly apart. Fehu’s hands gripped her throne tightly, but her expression only showed mild annoyance.

**“I’ll deal with you later, after I have a little talk with the human here.” **She growled. **“Human, you have something that interests me, the amulet you wear on your person.”**

Sofia paled and touched the amulet around her neck. “What do you want with it?”

**“That little trinket holds a great deal of energy. It continually absorbs and releases energy at an even pace, and exposes your body to it. It was how I detected you when you entered my cave.” **Fehu’s large hand rose and held itself out towards Sofia. **“Give me that amulet and I shall let you go.”**

“No, it’s mine and I promised to never take it off!” Sofia yelled.

**“Refuse me and I’ll make sure that every troll in this cave, as well as the castle grounds above will meet their ends at my hand. I’ll ruin this little kingdom of yours with a single wave of my hand and I’ll make sure you see all of it.” **Fehu snarled. **“Give me the amulet. Now.”**

Sofia held her amulet tightly in her hand, but she knew there was little else she could do against this being. Fehu would make good on her threat, even she knew that, and she couldn’t put both the trolls, her family, and the people of Enchancia in danger like this. But what would Fehu do with the amulet if she got it?

‘What do I do?’ Sofia thought in despair.

Fortunately Sofia didn’t have to make the choice, for the large doors at the front of the chamber were blasted open by a powerful force. Fehu’s red eyes turned to it and she snarled when she saw two more humans enter her chambers.

“Dad, Dante!” Sofia exclaimed in relief.

“Sofia!” Roland smiled.

**“The king himself walks headfirst into his shallow grave. I knew humans were stupid, but not this stupid.” **Fehu growled. **“Along with his pet wizard. How quaint.” **

“I’m only going to say this once, Madame Rocky,” Dante shouted, staring up at the large faery with no fear. “Relinquish the princess or I’m shoving my flame covered fist where the sun don’t shine!”

**“You and what army?”**

In response to her question, a spear flew through the air and stabbed itself into her right eye. Fehu’s face deformed as she howled in pain, her scream causing the entire cave to tremble. Sofia and Gnarly stared in shock and surprise as a large group of trolls, led by King Magnar, entered the cave after Roland and Dante.

“This ends tonight, Fehu!” King Magnar growled in a rare show of anger. “You will no longer terrorize my people, or anyone else in the future!”

**“Because you say so? You trolls are even worse than the dwarves, collaborating with humans and leading them straight into our territory! A death by burial is too merciful a punishment for you! I’ll crush you all with my bare hands!” **

Fehu’s large form rose off her throne, dust falling off her body as she rose to her full height, towering over humans and trolls. Sofia and Gnarly quickly ran from the throne as Fehu picked up a large shield of stone engraved with precious minerals, and attached it to her right arm. Almost immediately Fehu set her eyes upon Sofia, lashing out with a large fist with speed that did not match her size.

Sofia screamed, but before the first could reach her and Gnarly, it slammed against an invisible barrier with a deafening boom. Fehu growled and turned to glare at Dante, who cast a shield spell at the last moment.

“Your fight’s with us.” He said and clapped his hands together, spreading them apart and generating a long spear of lightning in his hands. “Attack!”

The trolls flooded into the chamber, throwing spears and red rocks at Fehu’s feet. When the red rocks made contact with her legs, they exploded, blasting off chunks of stony skin from the faery’s limbs. Fehu roared and raised her shield high before bringing it down on the trolls. Luckily the trolls avoided the massive shield slamming into the ground, but just barely. Dante used this chance to throw his lightning spear at Fehu’s face, engulfing her head in a plume of fire that obscured her vision.

Throughout the chaos, Roland ran to the other side of the chamber towards Sofia and Gnarly. Sword clutched tightly in hand, he darted past Fehu’s left foot and delivered a quick strike to the back of her calve, leaving behind a burning red cut. He was already gone before she could see him, for Dante delivered another lightning strike to her shoulder.

“Sofia!” Roland skidded to a stop and scooped Sofia up into his arms in a tight hug, which she returned.

“Dad,” Sofia mumbled into his shoulder. “I’m so glad you came for me.”

“I’d do anything for you, Sofia.” Roland said, glad to finally have her safe in his arms again. “I’m so sorry for not listening to you earlier. You were right about the trolls. They aren’t the enemy.”

“Well you’re doing the right thing now, and that’s what matters.” Sofia smiled.

Dante sprinted across the chamber helping protect the trolls as they threw everything they had at Fehu. They were doing serious damage to her body, but most of her minor wounds had healed up already and she was moving faster the angrier she got.

“Rippleburst!” Dante shot a large blast of orange flames from his hands into the back of Fehu’s right left, blasting off a large enough chunk of her stone flesh to the point where she fell to one knee. “Keep it up! She’s slowing down!”

**“I am a creature of the earth, boy. My connection with it only makes me stronger!” **Fehu roared, swinging her hand at King Magnar.

“Crap!” Dante ran forward and jumped in front of the troll king, slamming his fists together to cast the strongest shield spell he knew. Fehu’s hand slammed against his shield and, though he successfully protected Magnar, the boy mage was sent flying from the force of her backhand. He hit the ground hard on his back and rolled to a stop near the king and princess.

“Dante!” Sofia ran over to him and cradled his head in her arms. Dante wheezed a bit from the hard landing, the breath knocked from his lungs, but he slowly recovered with a groan. Roland helped him to his feet and supported him.

“Are you hurt?” Roland asked.

“No, but I’ll be sore in the morning. Ow.” Dante coughed. “She’s recovering as fast as we’re hurting her. She’ll wear us down and wipe us out at this rate.”

Sofia looked up at Fehu, who was steadily weathering the trolls’ assault on her. The chunks of stone blasted from her body had been slowly regenerating, and the trolls were just barely avoiding getting crushed underfoot by her. Sofia honestly couldn’t see how they could win this so long as they remained in her natural environment where she was at her most powerful. But as Fehu turned to swat away a group of troll soldiers, she spotted something on Fehu’s back.

“What’s that on her back?” She asked, pointing at a small red spot at the base of Fehu’s spine.

“Is that…a ruby?” Roland said.

“I have no idea, but I’ll take anything at this point.” Dante grunted and rubbed his back. “I think I can hit it if I get close to her.”

“Won’t she see you?” Gnarly asked.

“Not with your friends battering her face with explosives. You’ve got to show me how those work later.” Dante commented and performed a spell that formed a cloud under his feet.

“Be careful, Dante.” Sofia said.

Dante grinned at her and flew off, quickly flanking Fehu and making sure to stay away from her flailing arms. King Magnar saw the boy trying to get behind the faery and ordered his people to attack her from the front, lobbing red stones at her face and chest, and keeping her attention from the boy on the fluffy cloud sneaking behind her.

Up close the ruby in Fehu’s back looked more like one large red gemstone that pulsated like a beating heart, with veins extending along Fehu’s spine and shoulders, covered by her long hair. Hoping that this would work, Dante maneuvered back and performed the necessary hand gestures for the spell he was going to perform. His hands glowed white hot and he pointed them at Fehu’s back.

“I really hope this doesn’t burn my hairs off.” Dante muttered and chanted the spell. “Enderflame!”

A condensed beam of bright red flames burst from his hands and hit Fehu’s back dead center. Fehu howled in complete and total agony as the gemstone that was her heart, the focal point of her consciousness and her power, was incinerated within minutes. Dante’s fire spell burned into her back and out through her chest, leaving a large smoking hole in her torso. Fehu dropped her shield and fell to her knees, her eyes wide with pain and disbelief.

**“N-No…h-how…can…” **Her voice choked off and she fell forward, her body crumbling. The trolls scattered as she hit the ground, and her entire body completely broke apart from the impact, leaving only a pile of rubble.

Roland, Sofia and Gnarly met up with Dante as he landed on the ground and abruptly sagged to his knees, exhausted from firing off one high level spell after another in such a short time. King Magnar stood by the pile of rocks and dirt that once made up Fehu’s body and stared at it for a good while before muttering,

“It’s over.”

XXXXXX

Once it was confirmed that Fehu had been defeated, the trolls returned to their village to help their wounded recover from the violent battle, though no trolls were killed (they were both small and incredibly hard to hit, which was a godsend). Afterwards, the trolls held a celebration of their newfound freedom, with the pounding of large clubs on anything they could find being the music of a new chapter in their lives. And it was all thanks to the humans that risked their lives for them.

“My fellow trolls, we have lived too long under Fehu’s stone fist to know what true freedom means. I myself had resigned my fate to be her servant until my dying day and had never dared dream that a night like this would ever come true. Thankfully I was wrong.” King Magnar said to his people, smiling up at the two royals and mage standing beside him. “Fehu has long preached the distrustful nature of humans, but it was thanks to their help that we can now sleep peacefully without the danger anymore. And it was all thanks to King Roland, Princess Sofia and the magician Dante the Daring.”

The crowd all cheered for the three heroes and Sofia smiled at all the happy faces before her. Dante looked rather pleased with his new title.

“Dante the Daring,” He said. “Not my style, but I’ll take it.”

“Dante, please.” Sofia giggled. She looked up her father, who was holding Teeny in one arm. “How are you feeling, dad?”

“Tired, relieved and rather proud of how things turned out.” Roland smiled. He hugged Sofia close to him. “You were right about the trolls, Sofia. You may have stopped a conflict from brewing between us and the trolls.”

“That was all Dante’s doing. I was just in the right place at the right time.” Sofia said modestly. Sofia spotted Gnarly and went over to him. “Gnarly, how are you feeling?”

“Wonderful, Sofia! You and your friends just saved our entire village!” Gnarly said happily. Sofia opened her arms and pulled Gnarly in for a hug. “Thank you so much, Sofia. You set us free.”

“But it wouldn’t have been possible if the trolls hadn’t risen up along with us.” Sofia told him and stood with Gnarly as King Magnar spoke to Roland. Dante was off to the side still trying to get a look at the red stones he saw earlier. “This is going to be hard to explain to Mom, James and Amber.”

“It can’t be as hard as facing down Fehu.” Gnarly said.

“True.” She agreed. “But before all that, how about we do something else?”

Gnarly looked up at her curiously. “Like what?”

Sofia sent him a little smirk. “Would you like to look up at the stars with me?”


	6. The Sorcerer's Second Apprentice

Chapter 6-The Sorcerer’s Second Apprentice

Of all the surprising things found at Royal Prep, magical studies was among the biggest. Sofia didn’t know that the school taught magic, though she hadn’t really paid attention to the school’s curriculum prior to enrolling, having been preoccupied with other things at the time.

Magical Studies was a class that taught students about the basics of magic. It focused on the history, of magic, what is is, the various forms of magic used across the world, all the stuff that Sofia never knew before becoming a princess. It might’ve seemed a bit odd for royal children to learn about magic when most of them were likely to never even touch a wand in their future careers, but this class was a necessary one.

“As a royal, there is a possibility that you may encounter another royal of magical blood who practices the art instead of having a royal sorcerer or court magician. There will also be times when you may encounter someone who means to use magic to cause harm to you, your family or to your kingdom.” Said Professor Blake, the Magical Studies teacher. “It’s important to know at least the basics about magic to prepare yourself for whenever you find yourself in these situations, though in the latter’s case, I hope none of you ever have to deal with facing dark magic as you become adults.”

Sofia only had the class three times since starting school, and it was mostly introductory stuff. What is magic, what is a magician, the role of magic in today’s society, that kind of stuff. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t all so interesting to her. To her, magic was something that was only common to those of high society, while the people of the lower classes would be lucky to encounter a passing mage or a witch who didn’t hex you at first glance.

Watching Cedric and Dante perform magic was equally amazing to her. All they had to do was wave a wand or do some finger movements and magic was done. Sofia wanted to ask Dante how they do it, but he was so busy performing his duties that she didn’t want to be a bother.

But that was all going to change. Today, her class was going to learn how to cast spells. Sofia got to hold her very own practice wand for the first time! She turned it over in her hand multiple times and handled it with care, like it was made of glass. James chuckled at her awestruck expression and nudged her.

“If your mouth hangs open any wider, you’ll start catching flies, Sofia.” James said.

“Sorry, but it’s just so unbelievable to me. We’re actually going to learn magic.” Sofia smiled. “I can’t wait!”

“Don’t get too excited. The spells we’re going to learn are the kind of stuff that Dante considers to be kiddy spells.” James warned her, flipping his own wand in the air a couple of times. “You should hear the rants he has about Royal Prep’s Magical Studies classes. It’s like watching Amber go on a tangent about the intricacies of pouring tea on different holidays.”

Sofia laughed at her brother as the teacher entered the classroom to get things started. Professor Blake was an ordinary, if a bit scruffy looking, man. He was dressed in a suit that had to be a year out of style and had a head of long, messy hair and a slightly shaven beard. He could pass himself off as a vagabond if he put some work into it.

“Good morning, class. Now, I want to get started right away because we have a lot to do today. As you all know, you all are going to be learning and casting your first spells.” Professor Blake told the class and cracked a grin at their excited murmurs. “Yeah, I figured that’d get you lively this morning. Your wands are designed to help you cast spells more effectively, but they’re just one of the ingredients you need to do magic.”

XXXXXX

“Try again, Sofia.” Mona said as she watched Sofia practice her MS homework. “And be sure to put some omf into the words.”

“Okay.” Sofia raised her wand and pointed it at the rock. “Mutato Rubio!”

A spark flew from the wand and hit the rock, which shook for a minute before changing into…a cotton ball?

“Even for magic that’s pretty random.” Mona said dryly.

“Oh, this is impossible. I have all these spells to learn by the end of the week and I’m stuck on the first one.” Sofia groaned, glaring at her magic textbook. “I didn’t know magic would be this hard.”

“Relax, you’ve still got some time.” Mona cautiously poked the cotton ball and hissed when it suddenly turned back into a rock. Batting the rock aside she looked at Sofia. “Besides, if you’re having some magical mishaps, maybe you should go see someone who’s an expert in the art.”

“You’re right.” Sofia said and looked toward the tall, dark tower near the castle. “And I know just the person to ask.”

XXXXXX

Sofia and Mona walked up the spiral staircase that led to the top of the tower that Cedric and his apprentice Dante called home, her textbook and wand clutched in her arms. She walked up to the door and knocked twice.

BOOM!

“Oh!” Sofia squeaked as she heard a loud explosion inside the chamber. She looked to Mona, who shook her head and motioned her to wait.

“This is normal for them.” Mona whispered. They both heard loud arguing on the other side.

_“Cedric, you had one job!” _

_ “Don’t mouth off at me, boy! I was distracted!”_

_ “Then get a bloody stopper so you can properly pour one drop instead of tipping the whole damn beaker over!”_

_ “Don’t tell me how to do my job!”_

_ “Then do it correctly!”_

Sofia knocked again, and this time it was answered. The door creaked open and Cedric poked his head out, his frown deepening as he saw her standing there.

“Hi, Mr. Ceedric.” Sofia greeted him.

“It’s Cedric. Ce-dric.” He corrected her. “And what are you doing here, princess?”

“I just came to ask for a little favor.” She said.

“Of course you did.” Cedric sighed and let her in. “Come in, come in.”

Sofia entered the chamber and saw that it was a mess, with a scorch mark on the floor and beakers and books strewn about the place. Dante was cleaning up the mess with a broom, but he waved at her as she came in.

“Hey, Sofia.” He said.

“Hi, Dante,” Sofia nodded to the raven sitting on his perch. “Wormwood.”

“Don’t talk to me.” Wormwood grumbled.

“What can I do for you, Princess Sofia?” Cedric asked. He had enough stuff to do without having little girls barge into his safe space every hour.

“I have this Magical Studies class, and we’re being tested on a couple of spells, which I’m having trouble with.” Sofia explained to him. “And since you’re such a _great _sorcerer, I figured that you could help me out with them.”

“Princess Sofia, I am a certified royal sorcerer. Not a school teacher.” Cedric said.

“I know, but I’d be oh so grateful if you could just help me learn a few simple spells.” Sofia said sweetly.

‘That’s it, girl. Lay on the sugar.’ Dante thought with a grin. This girl knew her puppy-dog-eye game very well.

Sadly, Cedric wasn’t a fan of doe-eyed girls, or puppies for that matter.

“Princess, I’m busy enough as it is. In case you haven’t noticed,” Cedric waved his arms around at the messy chamber. “This place is a mess!”

“I can clean up most of this, Cedric. It shouldn’t be that hard to help her learn a few spells.” Dante suggested. Cedric sent him a glare.

“I got it!” Sofia chirped. “Why don’t I help you organize your things in return for magic lessons? That way, we both can get what we want.”

“That’s…” Cedric’s annoyed expression morphed into a devious grin as his attitude did a complete about face. “That’s a wonderful idea, Princess. I could use some more help around here, especially with my useless apprentice abusing my hospitality.”

“Keep talking, Cedric,” Dante drawled. “I’m sure you totally don’t want a good night’s sleep or anything.”

Cedric glared at him and turned back to Sofia. “We’ll get started on your lessons first thing tomorrow after school. How does that sound?”

“That sounds wonderful, Mr. Ceedric!” Sofia said and gave the lanky man a hug around the waist. “Thank you so much. You won’t regret it!”

“When this is over, I definitely won’t be regretting a single thing.” Cedric grinned, eying the twinkling amulet with greed.

Dante shook his head but said nothing as Cedric led the princess over to the door and bade her goodbye. As soon as he heard Sofia’s light footsteps fade away, he said. “Whatever hair-brained scheme you’re planning, Cedric, but it’s not going to work.”

“I’m not listening to your negativity, Dante.” Cedric brushed past him and flipped open a tome. “That amulet is our key to achieving greatness and I intend to capitalize on this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Cedric we’ve been over this. Yes, the amulet grants wishes and powers to the wearer, but it also curses unworthy people. Meruvian magic is no joke.” Dante frowned when Cedric didn’t pay attention to him and threw a stress ball (for when dealing with the king got _really _stressful for Cedric) at his master’s head.

“Don’t bother me, Dante, I’m busy formulating my Righteous Plan of Conquest.” Cedric muttered.

“Did you really have to say that with caps?” Dante sighed. “What are you even looking for?”

“That, my annoying little apprentice, is my secret to tell.” Cedric said. “Just know that once I’ve completed it, I will be in my rightful place atop the throne!”

“Cedric, I told you once and I’ll say it again, this is wrong.” The apprentice said. “You can’t just use your magic to take over an entire nation. What would grandpa Goodwin say?”

“Nothing I ever do is good enough for him. My father thinks that I can’t even tie my own shoes without bungling up a spell. Father, the king, everyone else just gets their kicks off putting me down and calling me a buffoon to my face. Well, not anymore!” Cedric conjured a large red velvet and gold crown atop his head, and Dante held back a chuckle when he saw that it barely fit Cedric’s head. “When I conquer Enchancia, everyone will recognize my greatness and give me the respect I rightfully deserve!”

“Which sounds great, until you have half of the kingdom’s magical population gunning for your head for setting magicians back by 200 years. The last thing we need is a Tri-Kingdom witch hunt, Cedric, and you know that the Sorcerer’s Association won’t stand by this.”

Cedric scowled and turned away from his apprentice.

XXXXXX

The next day after Sofia returned home from school, she quickly snatched up her textbook and headed straight to Cedric’s tower, climbing the spiral staircase and knocking on the door. Sofia could barely keep herself from jumping in place in excitement at her first magic lesson.

Dante opened the door and smiled down at Sofia. “Good afternoon, Sofia. Ready for practice?”

“You bet!” Sofia chirped. She made to enter, but noticed Dante eying her dress with a critical gaze, making her blush a bit. “Um, is something wrong?”

“Sofia, if you’re going to learn magic with us, you’ve got to look the part.” Dante said and performed a series of complicated finger gestures before chanting, “Magica Pulchritudo.”

A beam of light shot from his fingers and engulfed Sofia’s dress. She gasped as her dress fluttered before shifting into a long sorcerer’s robe that was the same shade of pink and purple as her dress. Sofia laughed and spun around in it.

“Wow, Dante, thank you!” She gushed.

“Just because we live in tall, dark towers doesn’t mean we magicians can’t look good on occasion.” Dante grinned. “Come on in. Cedric’s in the middle of something, but he’ll be with you in a moment.”

Dante escorted Sofia into the chamber, where Cedric was hard at work on a potion.

“Hello, Mona.” Sofia greeted the feline familiar.

“Hey, girl.” Mona moaned.

Sofia nodded to Wormwood. “Hello, Wormwood.”

“Don’t talk to me.” Said the raven.

“Cedric, Sofia’s here for her magic lessons.” Dante said.

“I’m busy, Dante, in case you haven’t noticed.” Cedric said, eying his ingredients rack for the final addition to his potion. “Why don’t you teach her how to…do whatever she’s trying to learn?”

“You’re the teacher,” Dante said dryly. “Teach.”

Cedric ignored him and continued working on his position. He counted out seven dried up leaves and dropped them into the cauldron. The expectant smile he wore faded quicker than you could say “bippity boppity boo”, when the caldron shook and shot out a large burst of colorful streamers, instead of providing him with an accelerated growth potion (as per the Queen’s request). Wormwood cackled and Cedric sent a glare in his direction before trudging over to the children.

“I think I’ll be helping the princess, this time.” Cedric sighed and shooed Dante away. “Go clean the cauldron, boy. It’s a mess.”

Dante sent Sofia a cheeky grin and went off to do his duties. Sofia placed her textbook out on the table and clutched her wand tight, smiling in anticipation.

“Now, what spell did you need help with?” Cedric asked.

“It’s one of three. I have to turn this rock into a ruby for my magic study’s test.” Sofia said, placing the test rock on the stool before her.

“Ah a rudimentary transmutation spell. Nothing too complicated.” Cedric said. “I imagine that your wand is already enchanted to cast certain spells under certain conditions.”

“That’s what Professor Blake said.” Sofia nodded. “But every time I try to cast the spell it either doesn’t work or I change the rock into a carrot or something.”

“There is more to magic than just waving your wand, princess. Magic requires a firm confidence and exact visualization of what you want your magic to do.” Cedric instructed. “The first step to casting a spell is to read the incantation carefully.”

Sofia nodded and read the spell on the page. “Mutato Rubio.”

“Second, point your wand at the rock and say the spell loudly and clearly. While you’re doing that, imagine the rock turning into a ruby while waving your wand in the correct movement so that the spell doesn’t misfire. Like so.” Cedric demonstrated the wand movement, and Sofia copied his motions. “That’s it. Slow and steady now, the rock isn’t going anywhere.”

Sofia practiced the movement a couple more times before she felt confident enough to try out the spell. “Okay, I think I’ve got it.” She turned to the rock and cleared her throat before saying the spell. “Mutato Rubio!”

Sofia felt her wand warm up a bit before the rock began to sparkle and, to her complete delight, turned into a sparkling red ruby. Sofia gasped and smiled. “I-I did it! Mr. Ceedric, I really did it!”

“Yes, yes, no need to get too excited about it. That spell is—“ Cedric grunted when Sofia ran into him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a big hug. Her tall, pointy purple hat poked his stomach, but that wasn’t so bad after the bright smile she gave him.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Cedric!” She said. “You’re a really good teacher!”

“I-I…am?” Cedric sputtered a bit at her praise and tried to look dignified as he gently pushed her away. Dante snickered and looked away when his master glared at him. Then there was a knock on the door.

“Cedric?” It was Baileywick, who entered the chamber after another knock. “Cedric, the king wants—oh, hello Princess Sofia. What are you doing up here?”

“Learning magic.” Sofia said.

“That’s great. Maybe you can teach Cedric some when you’re done.” Baileywick smirked. Dante snorted hard at that and banged his head against the cauldron.

“Oh haha, Baileywick, you’re a regular comedian.” Cedric said dryly. “What do you want?”

“The king requests your presence in the courtyard right away.” Baileywick said.

“T-The king?” Cedric gulped. As if this day couldn’t get any worse.

XXXXXX

Cedric and Sofia left the tower and found the king and queen waiting out in front by the courtyard. Sofia was beaming, smiling ear to ear as she helped carry Cedric’s potion bag, but her teacher was a nervous wreck. He lacked any of the confidence he shown while teaching her the spell and his posture was hunched as if he was trying to make himself look smaller.

“Hi, Sofia,” Miranda greeted her daughter. “How’s the magic lessons?”

“They’re going great, mom. Mr. Ceedric is a fantastic teacher.” Sofia said brightly.

“Cedric?” Roland called him over and Cedric slowly walked over to the king’s side, looking more and more nervous by the minute.

“Yes, your majesty?” Cedric asked.

“We have an important guest visiting us this evening—King Magnus.” Cedric’s reaction to that must have shown on his face, because Roland said, “I know, I had the same reaction. King Magnus will no doubt be bragging about how big and great his kingdom is, so I want the castle to look absolutely stunning for when he arrives.”

Roland pointed to the assortment of gargoyles that lined the upper half of Cedric’s tower. “You can start by changing those gargoyles into something more…inviting.”

“R-Right, perhaps I can change them into golden horses?” Cedric suggested.

“Great idea, Cedric.” Roland nodded.

Cedric held his hand out to Sofia. “Wand.”

“Wand.” Sofia had his wand in his hand in a heartbeat.

Cedric looked up at the statue and took a deep breath before stuttering the spell. “E-Euus Vivere!”

The spell hit the statue, but instead of changing the gargoyle into a golden horse, it turned the statue into a living pegasus, which neighed and dived off the tower before swooping very the group and flying off.

“Cedric, that’s not what I meant by changing the gargoyle into a horse. I didn’t mean bring it to life.” Roland sighed.

“Merlin’s mushrooms, I’m sorry, your majesty. This wand’s been fighting me since I got it.” Cedric laughed shakily and raised his wand. “I know the right spell for this—“

“That will be fine, Cedric. Let’s stop before we bring the gargoyles to life this time.” Roland said and walked past Cedric with Miranda.

“But…but…” Cedric tried to say but he stumbled over his words. It was one thing to screw up in front of the king again, but it was worse when the queen and princess were watching the whole disaster happen!

“Cedric, not every sorcerer is as gifted as your father. I’ll just have Dante work on the statues later. He’s a professional at this kind of work.” He said and walked away with Baileywick.

“Don’t be late to dinner, Sofia. King Magnus will be here by sundown.” Miranda reminded Sofia.

“Okay, mom.” Sofia said, sending Cedric a worried glance. The poor man was still standing in place, looking sadder than Sofia had ever seen an adult in her life.

XXXXXX

The mood in Cedric’s tower was noticeably somber than earlier. Cedric was sulking at his work table while Sofia swept the floor and Dante sat by the bookcases reading a dusty old tome that he probably had never touched before. Mona and Wormwood were off doing their own thing, probably because this wasn’t a rare occurrence for the royal sorcerer, sad as that was.

“So,” Sofia began, eager to end the uncomfortable silence. “Your father was a royal sorcerer too?”

Cedric sent her a look. “You mean you’ve never heard of Goodwin the Great? He was the royal sorcerer to Edward Pendragon, King Roland’s father. Saved his life nine and a half times in his lifetime.” He said, glaring at the portrait of his parents. He sighed and grumpily rested his chin on his palm.

“I’ve never saved anyone’s life. Not even once.” Cedric grumbled. “It would be nice if I had some recognition for my talents.”

“Well I think you’re—oops!” Sofia bumped a stood with a few potions on top and knocked over one of them. It hit the floor and the beaker shattered, splashing some liquid onto the bottom of her robe. To Sofia’s surprise and horror, the bottom of her robes ignited in green flames that quickly spread. “Ah!”

“Sofia!” Dante exclaimed and jumped up to cast a spell, but Cedric was faster.

“Eatenus exstinxisti!” Cedric’s wand arm shot up faster than anyone could follow at shot the spell at the green flames on Sofia’s robe. The flames sputtered before vanishing as if blown away by a strong breeze, leaving behind the scorched helm of the robe.

“Sofia, are you alright?” Dante asked, running over to her. Sofia checked the bottom of her robe, which was burnt at the edges, but her legs were untouched.

“I-I’m fine.” Sofia gulped, trying to calm her fast beating heart. “That was scary, though.”

Seeing that Sofia wasn’t hurt, Dante turned to Cedric with a look of awe on his face. “Cedric, I’ve never seen you move so fast. You saved her.”

“I…I did?” Cedric blinked, just realizing that the danger had passed.

“Yes, you do.” Sofia smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Ceedric. That would have gotten ugly if you hadn’t moved as fast as you did.”

Dante looked outside and saw that it was getting late. “Sofia, you better head back to the castle. King Magnus is coming for dinner, remember?”

“Oh, right, I completely forgot!” Sofia ran for the door, pulling Dante along with her. “Thanks again, Mr. Ceedric! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Cedric just stood there in the middle of the room looking dumbfounded even as the door slammed closed behind the children. “It’s…Cedric.”

XXXXXX

Dante walked Sofia back to the castle, having calmed down after that little scare with the potion. The two didn’t talk for a while, but the silence between them was a comfortable one. The kind of silence that was common between two close friends.

“I’ve never seen Cedric cast a spell that fast in my whole life, except whenever I was in danger,” Dante said. “Which wasn’t very much, honestly.”

“Mr. Ceedric is a wonderful sorcerer. I’m already making progress in my magic studies homework thanks to him.” Sofia smiled. “If he’s this good, then I wonder how amazing his father is.”

“The Emrys family has been in service of the Pendragons for generations. Grampa Goodwyn was the royal sorcerer for Edward Pendragon, your grandfather, and Cedric is currently your father’s sorcerer and when we’re older, I’ll be in service of James once he becomes king.” Dante explained. “Lord knows how much of an adventure that’ll be.”

“Dante, be nice.” Sofia giggled. “Still, I’m learning so much from Mr. Ceedric already, and his lessons are really helping me grasp the other spells for my test. He’s a really great teacher.” But then she frowned. “But he doesn’t have a very high opinion of himself, does he?”

Dante grimaced and sighed. “Cedric has…had a rough life. He’s constantly living under his father’s shadow and people keep comparing them both. Every time Cedric does something grand, people immediately credit it to him being Grampa Goodwyn’s son and not to his own skill. Add in the fact that he feels intimidated by your father and that lack of self-confidence screws his magic up.”

Sofia looked at Dante and saw his expression fall the more he talked about Cedric’s situation. This must have been a point of contention for him growing up.

“Cedric’s a wonderful sorcerer, Sofia. People say that I’m a prodigy because I’m so skilled at wandless magic, but all of my skill came from Cedric. He taught me the wonders and dangers of magic, every spell, every technique, even the stuff I don’t know how to use. It all came from him.” Dante said passionately. “People call him a bungler, or a bitter old man, but he cares to people in his own way. No one ever really gives him a chance to show what he’s really made of.”

Sofia moved closer to him and took hold of his hand. “You really care for him, don’t you?”

“Cedric’s the reason I’m the person I am now. He takes good care of me, along with the rest of his family.” Dante smiled. “Without him, I never would have met Amber and James…and you.”

His hand clenched hers tightly and Sofia felt her cheeks warm up. Dante grinned and led her along through gardens.

“Come on, let’s get you inside before Baileywick comes calling.” He said. “Have fun listening to King Magnus drone on about his kingdom.”

“He can’t really be that bad, can he?” Sofia asked.

XXXXXX

King Magnus really was as bad as they say.

When dinner arrived, King Magnus was introduced to Miranda and Sofia, and Sofia had to admit that he wasn’t how she imagined him to be. James had warned her that Magnus was a very…prideful man and liked to measure his kingdom a lot with others, especially Enchancia.

King Magnus was a large, portly man with a thick auburn beard and clad in the finest attire a king could wear on a daily basis. He wore more rings than Amber had in her jewel box and wore robes that seemed to be spun from gold. He looked like a nice king…until he started speaking. Then he started bragging about how everything in his kingdom (literally everything—from castle design to even the street performers) and the dinner took a steep downturn from there.

“You should have seen them, Roland. My court jesters are the funniest in the kingdom and they had me laughing for almost an hour!” Magnus laughed.

“I’m sure they did.” Roland said with forced politeness.

“And my cooks make the most wonderful dishes. You know, just the other day I had some delicacies from Tangu, curry I think it was called, and the spices they layered that dish with made my mouth explode with flavor.” Magnus said. “I thought I died and went to heaven.”

“I’m sure it tasted wonderful.” Roland said, trading a wry glance with Miranda, who also looked a bit overwhelmed. Poor woman really did not know what she was getting into.

“And at my son’s birthday ball last week, my royal sorcerer, Greylock, conjured up the most dazzling display of spirit animals to dance around the ballroom at his command. It was like watching a parade of ghosts, Roland, and it was a truly magnificent sight. You know, Greylock was one of the best magicians to graduate from Hexley Hall, you know.” Magnus sent Roland a grin. “Why, I think that he’s even better than your own royal sorcerer.”

That Sofia would not take lying down, and she made sure that was known. “Um, excuse me, King Magnus, but you’re wrong.”

“Sofia.” Roland sent Sofia a look, which she didn’t notice.

“I’m wrong?” Magnus blinked, not used to having someone, especially a girl, tell him he was wrong about something. “About what, child?”

“About Mr. Ceedric. Our royal sorcerer is very talented too.” Sofia said confidently.

“Is she talking about Goodwyn the Great’s son?” Magnus asked.

“Yes, but Cedric is nowhere near as talented as—“

“Of course he is.” Sofia cut in. “In fact, why don’t we have him put on a show for everyone?”

Roland gave a nervous laugh as he tried to dissuade Sofia from that train of thought. “S-Sofia, I don’t think that’s—“

“Why that’s a wonderful idea!” Magnus exclaimed, much to the surprise of everyone sans Sofia.

“But…” Roland tried to get a word in but Magnus was already on for the idea.

“But nothing.” Magnus said with a big smile. “I want to see what Goodwyn’s son is made of. Say, is the day after tomorrow good?”

Roland sighed, knowing that there was no way he could get out of this, and gave a resigned nod. “The day after tomorrow it is.”

“Wonderful!” Sofia smiled. “Mr. Ceedric is going to love this!”

XXXXXX

“You did what?!”

Cedric’s exclamation made Wormwood flap his wings in panic before sending a glare his master’s way. Sofia, however, didn’t even blink as she smiled up at him.

“I got you a chance to perform for King Magnus and my family.” She said. “With how much he was talking up his royal sorcerer I thought it’d be rude not to at least tell him how great a sorcerer you are.”

“B-But the day after tomorrow?” Cedric whined. “I can barely cast a spell in front of _a_ king. I’ll fall to pieces in front of _two _kings!”

“Mr. Ceedric, everyone in this room knows that you’re a great and powerful sorcerer.” Sofia said.

“Speak for yourself.” Wormwood muttered. Sofia sent him a glare before continuing.

“Look, your performance will take place on the same day as my magic studies test. We can practice together, help each other out.” Sofia suggested. She hopped off her stool and went over to grasp her hands. “Please, Mr. Ceedric, I know you’re a talented sorcerer, and you know it too. Shouldn’t you take the chance to show other people that talent too?”

Cedric opened his mouth, but no words came out. He glanced at Dante, who nodded at him.

“I’d take this chance, Cedric. You’ll never get a chance to impress another king like this again.” Dante said. “Especially _Greylock’s _king.”

Oh yes, his old classmate from Hexley Hall was Magnus’s royal sorcerer. Cedric began to smile at the thought of impressing Greylock’s king with his superior magical skills. It would be a great way to get back at the cheeky bastard.

“Okay,” Cedric said, gripping his wand. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Great!” Sofia grinned and opened her textbook. “Then we better get practicing. We don’t have much time left!”

XXXXXX

The next day, Sofia spent her morning helping Cedric practice his spells while he taught her proper wand movements and pronunciation of spell incantations. And when Sofia went off to school, Dane picked up the slack, helping Cedric form his routine that he planned to do in front of the royal family. And when Sofia returned, they went back to practicing some more.

Though they only really had one day of practicing together, Cedric and Sofia developed a strong dynamic to get better at their respective tasks. During these moments, Cedric forgot all about his nervousness about performing in front of two kings and just…enjoyed learning and teaching, enjoyed doing his magic, something he hadn’t done in a long time. And it felt wonderful.

On the evening before Sofia’s big test, Sofia was cleaning up the workshop area after she and Cedric were done practicing. It wasn’t hard work, just wiped down a couple of beakers and make sure that the unused potions were in a safe place where they wouldn’t get knocked over. She even bothered to organize his potions in alphabetical order, something even Dante didn’t do (he organized potions by effect, which was still a bit difficult to find the right one quickly).

“For a royal sorcerer, I thought Mr. Ceedric would do a better job in keeping his workplace clean.” Sofia said to herself. She walked past his spellbook and saw a dark smudge on one of the pages. “You’d think he’d keep his spellbooks clean too.”

She softly wiped the cloth over the smudge, making sure not to ruin the lettering on the page. She pulled the cloth away and smiled, satisfied with her work. That was when Cedric decided to enter his chamber, looking exhausted.

“Okay, time for you to go Princess Sofia. Don’t want to late for dinner with King Magnus, do you?” Cedric said. Then he noticed her standing in front of his spellbook. “What are you doing over there? Don’t touch my spellbooks! Those are very rare and very expensive to get!”

“Sorry, Mr. Ceedric. There was just a smudge on one of the pages and I was cleaning it up.” Sofia said. She adjusted her sorcerer’s hat and gave him a smile. “I better go change. My test is tomorrow and I’m still a bit nervous.”

“Just remember everything I taught you and you’ll be fine, princess.” Cedric reminded her. “Now run along. I don’t want your sister hounding me for keeping you from spending time with her.”

Sofia giggled and went to the door. “Goodnight, Mr. Ceedric.”

Cedric was too tired to correct her. He just gave her a lazy wave as she closed the door behind her and turned to his spellbook. He was about to close it when he saw the page it was opened to. Cedric frowned and read the spell on the page, and as he read each word, his smile grew wider and wider.

“Merlin’s Mushrooms, this is it!” Cedric exclaimed, startling Wormwood. “This is just the spell I need to get that amulet!”

Wormwood looked at Cedric strangely and cawed.

“The invisibility potion I was working on.” Cedric answered his familiar, as if the raven had just spoken. “No wonder it wasn’t working. I hadn’t noticed the rest of the ingredients to make it. The princess just helped me realize my ambition to conquer the kingdom!”

Cedric gave a triumphant cry and got to work on making the potion. If this worked, then he’ll have the perfect chance to snatch the amulet and use its power to show the entire kingdom what a great sorcerer he was. Then he and Dante can finally live the perfect lives they were meant to have!

“I need to get Dante and prepare for tonight.” Cedric said gleefully as he carefully packed away his potions. “Oh Wormy, things are finally looking up for…me.”

Cedric slowed down when he saw something strange on his worktable. It was a small group of rubies, the same ones Sofia had been practicing with earlier. They were all arranged in a heart before him, a little thank you towards the royal sorcerer that helped her so much.

“Sofia did this…for me?” Cedric whispered, unable to believe it. Honestly, no one had done such a thing for him, let alone a royal, and his immediate family (barring his sister) didn’t count.

Wormwood cawed in his ear with a scowl and Cedric waved the bird off with an annoyed look. “I’m not hesitating! I just…oh I don’t have time for this!”

Cedric, not being able to bring himself to destroy the pretty display Sofia made for him, so he angrily grabbed his bag and left the chamber, shutting the door closed with a slam. It wouldn’t be long before the little “magic show” began and he’d have his best shot at snatching the amulet from Sofia…the girl who looked up to him as if he were the greatest thing on earth. And was probably the nicest child he ever had the pleasure of running into.

Morgana’s mead, this was going to be a rough night.

XXXXXX

The next day was the day of Sofia’s test, and she was nervous. She was fine that morning, but as the day wore on and she got closer to her elective, Sofia’s nerves started to fray. Professor Blake’s test wasn’t a crucial one, but she really wanted to make Cedric proud and show that she was very serious about what he taught her. It was a matter of pride more than anything else.

And so she sat at her desk in Magic Studies taking deep breathes to calm herself. Professor Blake walked around conjuring three objects that the students would use for their test: a rock, an apricot, and an old boot.

“For your sorcery test, your task is to transform these objects using the spells you were taught earlier this week.” Professor Blake said. “Remember to remain calm and focus on your objective. Good luck, everyone, you may begin.”

As the class began casting their spells (or attempting to, some people didn’t even get so much as a spark from their wands) Sofia took a deep breath and grasped her wand. “Slow and steady…visualize what you want the spell to do…” She whispered to herself and nodded.

Sofia raised her wand and said the first spell as confidently as she could. “Mutato Rubio.”

With a flick of her wand, the rock shook and turned into a ruby. Sofia smiled and moved onto the next spell. “Mutato Emeraldi.”

This time she twirled the wand clockwise before pointing at the apricot. The small fruit shook and suddenly changed into a twinkling emerald, settling right beside her ruby.

‘One more!’ Sofia thought excitedly. Focusing on the boot, she said the words and imagined the boot changing shape. “Mutato Crystallos!”

The dirty old boot wobbled on her desk for a scary minute before it shimmered and slowly morphed into a perfect, sparkling crystal shoe. Sofia stared at the crystal show for a couple of minutes before her mind finally processed her accomplishment.

“I…I did it?” Sofia blinked and her lips spread into one of the biggest smiles she ever had. “Oh my god, I did it!”

“That you did, Princess Sofia.” Sofia jumped and looked up to see Professor Blake standing over her, a smile on her face. “No need to look shy now, princess. You’ve managed to successfully transform all three objects. And on the first time at that. You have a hand for magic, princess.” Blake complimented.

Sofia blushed and fiddled with a strand of hair. “Well, I had a wonderful teacher.”

XXXXXX

Sofia had went home triumphantly with her certificate for passing the test. It was all she could talk about to her family and she just couldn’t sit still. She was flying high right now, and Cedric’s upcoming performance only made her giddier.

As evening came, and the royal family and King Magnus assembled in the throne room, Sofia got dressed in her apprentice robes (she really loved them) and quickly made her way behind the curtain to help Cedric and Dante prepare for the show. When she got there, she could already hear the master and student pair arguing about what they were going to do.

“Why not just start off with the fire-shaping technique? Start off strong and keep up the momentum?” She heard Dante say.

“Fire-shaping?” Cedric questioned.

“Yes, that technique you showed me last year. The one that I used for Amber and James’s birthday party?”

“If you’re going to dictate the whole show, then why don’t _you _perform for them?” Cedric replied. “They like you better anyway.”

“Because it’s not my show, it’s yours. You have something to prove, not me. And things will go smoother if you’d just listen to me.”

Sofia chose that moment to cut into the conversation, smiling at the two magicians. “Mr. Ceedric, Dante, are you two ready?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask Cedric?” Dante said, looking at a nervous Cedric pointedly. Cedric glared at his apprentice and cleared his throat.

“I’m as read as I’ll ever be, princess. I’ve already worked out a routine that will be perfect for this show.” Cedric sent Wormwood a discreet grin. “It’ll be something they will never forget for a long time.”

“That’s wonderful! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do.” Sofia said.

“Neither can I, princess.” Cedric said and went to make some final preparations. With Cedric off to the side, Dante walked over to Sofia.

“Cedric will lose his cool the minute the curtain opens. I’m going to be his assistant and you’ll be my backup in case things go downhill.” Dante said.

“Backup? But, Cedric won’t do that badly.” Sofia said. “I think he’ll pull through.”

“Maybe, but Cedric didn’t raise me to leave things to chance.” Dante sighed and straightened his vest. “Anyway, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

“Yes we shall!” She smiled.

The time for the show to begin arrived, and Baileywick stepped up to announce their star for the evening.

“Your majesties,” Baileywick began. “It is my honor to announce the Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia, and son of the beloved Goodwyn the Great, Cedric Emrys!”

The curtains slid apart to reveal Cedric’s lanky form, and the sorcerer certainly didn’t look as confident as he was behind the stage. He momentarily froze for a second before a muffled grunt from Dante jerked him into action.

“Good evening!” Cedric said loudly. “You are about to behold a display of sorcery so fantastic that you’ll never see it coming.”

“Oh this is going to be a disaster.” Roland groaned. Miranda put a calming hand on his.

“It will be fine, Rollie. Just relax.” She said.

“But before that, let’s start off with a little appetizer for our guest.” Cedric smirked and flicked his and at the little stool next to him. Mona appeared in a dazzling burst of sparkles that made the cat sneeze.

“Hmph, my royal sorcerer once conjured an entire zoo.” King Magnus said, unimpressed.

“That sounds great.” Roland said through gritted teeth.

“I know that summoning animals is nothing new to our esteemed nobility, but has anyone seen a flying cat before?” Cedric closed his eyes and pointed his wand at Mona. “Floatila Felidae!”

A burst of light shot from Cedric’s wand, but because he had his eyes closed he didn’t hit his target. The spell missed Mona by millimeters and hit another target instead—Dante!

“Merlin’s Mushrooms!” Cedric exclaimed as he saw the spell hit Dante dead on. Dante had no time to react as he was suddenly turned into a small black and white cat…with wings. “Dante!”

Cat-Dante hissed angrily at Cedric before his tiny white wings flapped curiously and he took off in a sprint. Mona watched her master fly around in his cat-form like some manticore with a grudge and shook her head in awe.

“And I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.” Mona muttered.

Sofia bit her lip and looked at her parents and King Magnus. Her father looked really embarrassed, and Magnus looked anything but impressed at the accident. Cat-Dante had slammed into the wall and fell all the way into Amber’s lap in a dazed heap. She glanced at Cedric and saw him start shaking and stuttering as he tried to fix the spell but couldn’t say the words properly.

‘He’s too nervous. He won’t be able to cast the counter-spell properly.’ Sofia thought. ‘If only he could cast as fast as he could when…I was in trouble!’

Sofia suddenly had a very terrible idea that she really hoped worked. Rummaging through Cedric’s potion bag, she took out a bright yellow potion that was labeled _Lizard _and uncorked it.

“Please work.” She prayed and raised her voice. “Mr. Ceedric, try this potion, I think it could—whoops!”

Sofia feigned tripping and tipped the potion onto herself, much to the horror of her family.

“Sofia spilled a potion on herself!” She heard James yell.

Sofia felt a wave of dizziness come over her before her vision went white and she felt her body start to shrink. In a couple of seconds Sofia had transformed from a girl into a small purple lizard.

“Sofia!” Miranda cried out.

“Someone, help!” Roland called out in a panic.

“Sofia?” Cedric’s eyes flashed over to the small lizard Sofia had been changed into and his mind instantly went into autopilot. This wasn’t the first time someone had been turned into a lizard under his watch, Dante had quite a few accidents when he was a small child.

Cedric’s eyes flashed and he pointed his wand at Sofia. “Novis!”

An invisible wave of power flowed over Sofia and her tiny body shuddered before she was engulfed in light. When the light faded, Sofia was back to human form, though she looked a little queasy. She looked herself over and gave a sigh of relief.

“Wow,” She breathed. “It worked!”

Roland and Miranda ran over to Sofia and hugged her tightly, happy that she was unharmed, before Roland went to congratulate Cedric.

“Cedric, that was amazing! You saved Sofia’s life.” Roland said happily, shaking the man’s hand. “Thank you so much.”

“I…you’re thanking me?” Cedric blinked. He had only just realized what he had done in that moment.

Roland turned to Magnus. “Do you see, King Magnus? This is our royal sorcerer, someone who wouldn’t hesitate to save a child’s life in a heartbeat. Cedric, the greatest sorcerer in Enchancia.”

“That he is.” Magnus agreed, smiling. “It’s good to know that he’s so reliable when someone is in trouble. You can never have too many people to rely upon for help in these dangerous times.”

Cedric blossomed under their praise, but something was bugging him about that accident. He walked over to Sofia and was immediately suspicious of her grin. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Sofia shrugged. “I’m just a bit clumsy I guess.”

Cedric furrowed his brows before his eyes widened. “You…you did that on purpose!”

“I knew that you wouldn’t hesitate to save someone in trouble, just like you did with me earlier back in the tower.” Sofia explained. “Luckily the master sorcerer knows just the spells to reverse an accidental transformation.”

Cedric laughed and shook his head at the girl’s cheekiness. The little princess clearly wasn’t as sweet and innocent as he believed.

“Well, I better help my apprentice before he decides to cough up a furball on my pillow.” Cedric said and went to cast a counter-spell on Cat-Dante, but Amber stopped him.

“Oh there’s no need for that, Cedric. It wouldn’t hurt little Dante here to spend some time with me trying on some new little bows and hats I wanted to try out on him.” Amber said with a dangerous grin.

Cat-Dante’s eyes widened before he hissed and started flapping his wings to break free of her grip, but Amber wasn’t letting go. She wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity to pay him back for all the pretty dresses he mismatched with his magic!

XXXXXX

When the excitement finally died down, Cedric and Sofia returned to the sorcerer’s tower, leaving poor Dante to the mercy of Amber and her kitty fashion sense.

“What a night! I can’t believe how amazed your parents and King Magnus were at me.” Cedric sighed. “Did you see the looks on their faces?”

“I did. Those were looks that everyone should give you.” Sofia said. “I know you’re a wonderful sorcerer, Mr. Ceedric. It’s about time everyone saw that too, and you’re at your best when you’re helping people.”

She reached into her robes and took out a scroll to hand to him. “Here, I want you to have this.”

“What is it?” Cedric asked curiously, taking the scroll from her. He unrolled it and saw that it was a certificate with a gold star on the bottom.

“My certificate for passing my test in Magic Studies.” Sofia smiled brightly, rolling back and forth on her heels. “Thanks to your help, I passed it on the first try and Professor Blake was really impressed with me. And since you did so well tonight, I think you deserve a gold star too.”

Cedric smiled at the scroll, feeling even happier knowing that Sofia passed with his assistance. It felt so good knowing that someone really appreciated his help.

Sofia gave a little yawn and went for the door. “Thanks for everything, Mr. Ceedric. You were incredible and I can see why Dante loves you so much. Good night!”

“It’s, uh,” Cedric laughed. “Good night, princess.”

She waved him goodbye before shutting the door, leaving Cedric standing there in silent glee. He walked over to his work table and sat down with a tired sighed. Wormwood glared at him before cawing angrily in his ear.

“Oh relax, Wormy.” Cedric waved the raven off. He sat back and looked at the certificate with a small smile. “We can always take over the kingdom next time.”

For now, he was going to revel in the feeling of accomplishment he felt tonight. For what felt like the first time in ages, he was being seen for how skilled he truly was. Not through grand acts of bravery or magnificent feats of magic, but through saving someone’s life. Cedric never realized how fulfilling it was to truly help someone in need.

He was starting to see why Dante liked doing it so much.


	7. The Circle

Chapter 7-The Circle

It was a slow Sunday morning and for the inhabitants of the Enchancian Royal Castle, the day seemed to drone on and on, and it wasn’t even eleven yet. The royal children were spending their day however they wanted, but King Roland was in the midst of taking care of some of the less pleasant aspects of his duties as king.

Roland sat in his personal study reading over the recent reports he got from the local patrols. None of them were very encouraging, especially with what’s been going on for the past month. His wedding to Miranda and getting to know Sofia had taken his mind of such dark matters, but now that things have calmed down somewhat, Roland was forced to return to reality.

There was a knock on the door and the queen entered, looking a bit concerned. “Rollie? Are you feeling alright? You didn’t come down for breakfast.”

“I’m fine, Miranda. Just going over the police reports from the other settlements.” Roland sighed and glared at the stack of papers. “I wanted to get it done before breakfast, but I got a bit sidetracked.”

Miranda glanced at the papers. “Work?”

“Yes, and not the good kind either.” Roland handed Miranda one of the reports. She read it over and her eyes widened.

“Another missing person’s report?” Miranda muttered. “From Dunwitty…Rollie, this is the next town over.”

“And two weeks before it was Ardella. More and more people are disappearing and it’s steadily getting closer to Rosemary. Adults, children…I’ve even lost some castle workers and soldiers.” Roland’s expression darkened as he remembered having to personally tell the families that their loved ones were missing. It was hard having people sworn to serve you just up and vanish and not being able to do anything more than apologize.

“This can’t be normal.” Miranda said.

“It’s not, that I’m sure of it. I’ve talked with Cedric about this and he believes that this is the work of the faeries.” Roland said.

“Faeries, like that undine haunting the water fountain at Royal Prep?” She inquired.

“The same. Most of them are neutral to humans, some are even on friendly terms with us, but there are others that are openly hostile to humans.” Roland answered. “All we know is that these people are disappearing in the Emerald Forest, about a mile from the castle. After that, all we can do is linger around for a bit before pulling back. Faeries are dangerous when in their natural habitat.”

Miranda frowned and looked at the disturbingly large stack of missing person’s reports on the desk. She grew up in Galdiz hearing stories about faeries, the spirits of nature that populated the natural areas of the world. Her grandmother would pass on stories of children being taken by faeries looking for a quick snack. Miranda didn’t believe the stories, of course, but growing up she heard enough first person accounts of faery encounters to know that there is some truth behind the tales.

“Will the children at Royal Prep be alright?” She asked.

“The headmistress knows a lot of good sorcerers who layered the school with protective enchantments so that the children can be safe. I have my men patrolling all pegasus flight routes so Amber, Sofia and James are well protected too.” Roland replied, and then sighed. “But this business with the disappearances has me troubled. Even if we do find them, and I’m not sure how, I’m afraid that they might not be fully…intact.”

“Whatever happens, I’m sure you’ll find them, Rollie.” Miranda said supportively. She reached over and rubbed his shoulders to calm him down. “Why don’t you get something to eat? It’s not too late for a quick bite before noon, right?”

Roland smiled and patted her hand. “You’re right. Maybe a little break can help me relax.”

Miranda smiled and pulled him away from his desk and outside to the dining room. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about the issue his people were facing. Roland knew that the parents were scared and hurt that their children were missing. He wondered how he would feel if he were in their position.

XXXXXX

When you had nothing to do on the weekend, all you could was either spend some time with friends or family, or just sit back and read a good book. Sofia was out of luck for the former, as Amber and James had their own stuff to do. Which left her with Mona in the garden, sitting with a book in hand and enjoying one of the few times she could get some peace and quiet in the castle. It’s easy to take alone time for granted until you’ve had as many adventures as Sofia in a single month alone.

The book she was reading was a beginner’s textbook on magic. Her first week of learning magic from Cedric had inflamed a desire within Sofia to learn more about the mystic arts. Perhaps it was because she had never seen real magic before back in Rosemary, but something about the art just attracted her interest like nothing else before. She even borrowed some books on the subject from Royal Prep’s library, though reading about magic and its history wasn’t the same as having someone actively teach her the basics.

“You look like you’re having fun.” Mona said as she laid sprawled at Sofia’s feet.

“For your information, Mona, I am having fun.” Sofia said. “It’s not every day I get to have some time to myself.”

“I hear that, sister. You have a more active life than most girls your age.” Mona yawned. “So much for living the leisurely life of a royal.”

“Mona! Mona, where are you?”

“And that’s my cue to bounce.” Mona purred and got to her feet.

“Where are you going?” Sofia asked smirking.

“Someplace that doesn’t involve me being dragged along on some stupid flower gathering mission.” Mona said as she dashed away. “Toddles, princess.”

Sofia shook her head amused as Dante entered the garden not long after. “Hi, Dante.”

“Afternoon, Sofia.” Dante said, looking around for his feline familiar. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen a frustrating feline around here, would you?”

“Can’t say that I have.” She said.

“Of course. Honestly, that cat gets like this every time I try to take her out to get some ingredients.” Dante grumbled.

“Well, since you can’t find Mona, maybe I can help.” Sofia suggested and stood up.

“Really? You know, you don’t have to help Cedric anymore. You aced your magic tests.” He pointed out. Sofia just smiled and took the basket from him.

“I have nothing else better to do, and I enjoy helping out my friends.” She said sweetly and walked away. “Let’s go before we start losing sunlight. Mr. Cedric can be a bit impatient after all.”

“I hear that, princess.” Dante chuckled. He glanced at the small book she left on the bench before running after her.

XXXXXX

Sofia and Dante took a leisurely walk down a dirt path that led from the castle into the surrounding forest. They didn’t rush, as they were just enjoying the calm, quiet atmosphere that wasn’t rare to experience when around Amber and James on a daily basis. The air was warm, it was bright and sunny, and the way the sunlight shined through the leaves just made the entire forest seem enchanted.

“So…how are things going for you?” Sofia asked.

“Great. Cedric started teaching me some new magic techniques.” Dante said. “I just learned how to bend light last week.”

“Bend light?”

“Yup.” Dante raised his hands and did a few fancy finger movements, and before Sofia’s eyes, his left hand began to vanish!

“Whoa, where did your hand go?” She gasped.

“It’s still there. I just made it invisible by bending light around it.” Dante rubbed his hand like he was wiping something off and his hand slowly came back into view.

“That’s amazing.” Sofia praised. Magic just kept looking cooler and cooler to her!

“That’s advanced magic. The kind of stuff they teach in magical colleges.” He flicked his fingers and shot sparkles from her fingertips.

“Hey, Dante, what is all that stuff you do with your fingers?” Sofia asked.

“Stuff?”

“Yeah, those…” She tried to copy his complicated finger gestures but only ended up looking like she was trying to get the feeling back into her hands after they fell asleep.

“Oh, that.” Dante chuckled. “That’s how I cast spells. Basic magic requires two things, incantations and hand gestures to control the energy for the spell.”

“But you don’t use a wand?”

“The wand was a recent invention for magic users in the Tri-Kingdom area. Magicians from other cultures use different mediums, but the wand became widely used because of how easy it is to use.” He explained. “See, before the invention of wands, magicians used all kinds of somantic elements to channel their magic, but they mostly used their hands. Hand and finger gestures were used to control the spell, and they’re really complicated. Get the hand movements wrong and the spell won’t work, or worse, it’ll backfire.”

“If it’s so hard, then how are you able to do it so well?”

“Well, Cedric’s mother, granny Winnifred, taught me when I was small, and somehow I just felt more at ease doing magic with my hands.” Dante raised his hands and smiled at them. “I have my own wand, but I barely use it except in certain situations.”

“I don’t blame you. Watching your hands work with magic is like watching a professional piano player at play.” Sofia commented with a grin.

“Oh stop it.” Dante laughed and scratched his cheek. “Seriously, stop, you’re making me blush.”

They laughed as they walked deeper into the forest, not even really noticing how deep they were going. And certainly not noticing the small flower sprouting from the ground. Its petals opened up to reveal a dark emerald green eye that followed the two children until they were out of sight. The eye flower then closed its petals and sank back into the ground, with only a lone blue jay as witness to this strange occurrence.

XXXXXX

After a few more minutes of walking, Dante and Sofia managed to gather a few of the plants he needed for Cedric. They all looked like ordinary flowers, though some had rather strange appearances that Sofia had never seen before.

“What exactly do these plants do anyway?” Sofia asked, looking a flower called Cat’s Eye she just picked up. It was blood red but had a black stripe running down the center petals, giving it the appearance of a cat’s eye.

“Most of these plants have special properties that are caused by having a higher amount of natural energy than regular plants.” Dante said, placing the flower into his basket before reaching over to pick up a white flower with five petals. “If you use them the right way, they can make the perfect herbs and potions.”

Sofia was about to ask him what he meant about natural energy, but he suddenly put the white flower into her hair, right behind her ear. She giggled and lightly smacked his arm before sitting back against a tree, enjoying the sunlight and warm weather. Very soon all this green will fade to red and orange as fall sets in, and then the weather will get colder and brisk. The changing of the seasons was never smooth, but for the past couple of years it felt as if the transition was getting…rougher, for lack of a better word.

“Dante,” Sofia said, getting his attention. “You know a lot of magic, right?”

Dante raised a brow at her. “Yes, I do. Kind of comes with being a sorcerer’s apprentice. Why do you ask?”

Sofia played with her fingers, looking a bit hesitant to ask her question, which Dante found suspicious. Finally Sofia gathered enough courage and asked her question.

“Could you please teach me magic?”

Dante was quiet for several minutes, and Sofia’s cheeks reddened from his intense gaze. She was starting to feel silly for asking that question when Dante asked her something else in return.

“Why do you want to learn magic?”

She took a moment to come up with an answer. “Dante, I’ve always had a fascination with magic since I was a little girl. Passing street performers and traveling magicians that I would always get a glimpse of in Rosemary…they all interested me so much. And seeing you and Mr. Ceedric in person for the first time after coming to the castle was a dream come true! I thought it was just some passing fancy I had as a child, but spending time with you has only strengthened my love for magic, so…if it isn’t too much trouble…is there any way to learn magic from you?”

Dante sighed and put his basket down. “Sofia, magic isn’t just something that you learn as a hobby. It takes time and a lot of practice to properly use, and you only study it for a specific reason. And that’s if you’re even good at it.”

He held up a hand to keep her from speaking. “I’m not saying you can’t learn magic because you’re a royal. Anyone can learn magic with enough practice and study. But magic has the potential for misuse, and there are a lot of people who abuse their magical powers for selfish reasons. Cedric taught me that magic is like a sword, on its own it’s harmless, but depending on who wields it, it can be a very dangerous and volatile weapon. That’s a lot of power to put into the hands of a child like yourself.”

Sofia pursed her lips and nodded. She understood that magic wasn’t a game. Despite Cedric’s numerous magical mishaps that were often comical in some way, she heard enough horror stories from Mona about unfortunate mages meeting untimely fates at the hands of magic that had malfunctioned in some way. Magic was dangerous even in the hands of an experienced sorcerer and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Still…

“I know that magic is dangerous, but I’m still willing to learn.” Sofia looked at him earnestly. “Please, I won’t be too much of a bother. You can even get permission from Mr. Ceedric first if you want to. I can wait!”

Dante couldn’t help but smile at how intent Sofia was to learn magic. Honestly, he rarely heard of a noble, let alone a royal at that, interested in learning magic. There were clear social divides between those who ruled, those who wielded magic, and those who worked as bakers and blacksmiths. Social divides that Sofia was developing a habit of breaking whether she knew it or not.

“Okay then, I’ll think about it. We can talk to Cedric about it when we get back. Speaking of which…” He picked up his basket and stood up. “We better get going. It should be almost sundown with how long we’ve spent talking out here.”

Sofia nodded and allowed Dante to help her up. She glanced up at the sky and noticed something odd. “Dante, how long do you think we were gone?”

“About an hour or two. Time flies when you’re having fun.” Dante said and looked at her. “Why?”

“Because the sun doesn’t look like it’s moved since we got here.”

Sofia pointed up to the sky and Dante followed her gaze. Just as she said it looked like time hadn’t moved that much since the got here. In fact, the sun really did look to be in the same place as it was an hour ago.

“Maybe we should leave.” Sofia muttered.

“Yeah, we should.” Dante said.

The two children quickly made their way out of the flower patch and down the path they came. Neither of them spotted the lone flower with a single eye blinking at the center of its petals watching their every move.

XXXXXX

Mona was bored. This was nothing new, as she was a cat who got her kicks by tormenting creatures smaller (and larger) than her. She often spent her days lounging around doing nothing while watching Dante or Sofia go about their day, even a cat got tired of sleeping all day every now and then. Rolling over onto her feet, Mona stretched her long body out with a big yawn and shook her body to get the stiffness out. No sense in sitting around here waiting for them.

“About time you woke up.”

Mona looked up and saw Rhea sitting on a branch looking down at her. “Hello to you too, blue jay. What’s up?”

“I’m here for Sofia, though I saw that she isn’t here yet.” Rhea said. “Is she with Dante?”

“Yeah, they went to go pick flowers or something.” Mona said, yawning again. “I think they’ll be back in an hour or two. If they remember to focus on something other than each other.”

“That’s…worrying.” Rhea muttered.

Mona frowned and looked up at her. “How so?”

“I know how long it takes for your master to get flowers and herbs, and it doesn’t usually take this long.” Rhea told her. “It’s almost sundown.”

“What?” Mona looked up at the sky and saw that the bright blue was fading into deep orange, a sign that the sun was starting to set. “No…Dante never takes this long when he’s going out. Neither does Sofia.”

Dante had made it a habit to never be out after dark if he could help it. He learned that there were a lot of faeries that mothers told scary stories about that liked to appear when the sun goes down. Faeries that were far more horrifying than what the tales made about them described. Creatures you didn’t want to run into after dark.

Mona knew how he worked and that even if he was with Sofia he wouldn’t allow himself to stay out so late. Something has to be wrong.

Her concerns were made more tangible when she saw a worried looking Cedric leaving his tower to head toward the castle.

XXXXXX

The sleepless nights King Roland had spent obsessing over the missing people reports that were flooding in had finally taken its toll on the man, for the good king was in a deep sleep and completely dead to the world. His shoulders rose and fell as he snored with his head lying on the papers he’d been reading and for the moment it seemed as if he was in a deep sleep.

Then someone knocked on the door.

Roland grunted and shot up in his seat, blinking rapidly as he looked around. “W-What? W-Who is it?”

“Rollie?” Miranda opened the door and entered his office, looking very worried. “Rollie, have you seen Sofia? I can’t find her anywhere.”

“Sofia? No, I haven’t seen her. I’ve been in here for the entire day.” The mention of his youngest suddenly erased any traces of sleep Roland had as he sat up straighter. “Has something happened?”

“I hope not. It’s sundown and neither Amber nor James have seen her all day. I’m getting worried, Rollie.”

“Now, Miranda, I’m sure it’s nothing. Sofia’s a smart girl, she’ll return soon.” Roland comforted her. “I’ll send the guards out and—“

“Your majesty!” Cedric came barreling into the office like a hurricane, looking as haggard as he felt. He tried to speak, but Roland cut him off.

“Cedric, can’t you see I’m busy at the moment? Whatever it is you have to show me can wait for another time.” He said sternly. To his surprise, Cedric did not cower as usual. Instead the royal sorcerer looked rather scared of something.

“My apologies King Roland, Queen Miranda, but this is urgent.” Cedric said. “Have you seen Dante anywhere? My apprentice hasn’t been back since this afternoon, and I know he doesn’t usually stay out this late by himself.”

“Dante’s missing too?” Miranda gasped, now feeling really worried.

“First Sofia, now Dante. This is feeling remarkably familiar…” Roland trailed off, not wanting to think about the recent incidents that began in an eerily similar way. He was not going down that route! “I’m sorry, Cedric, but no one has seen Dante around the castle since this afternoon. The same with Sofia. They must still be close by, they know better than to wander off alone.”

“I will go cast a locator spell to find the children.” Cedric said, looking extremely serious, a far cry from his usual cowering self. “By your leave, your majesties.”

Roland nodded and Cedric was out of sight in a heartbeat. Miranda watched him go with a look of sympathy.

“He looks as worried as I feel.” She commented.

“Dante is special to Cedric, the same way James and Amber are special to me. If anything happened to Dante, I don’t think Cedric could take it.” Roland said. He took her hand and led her out into the office. “Come, we will find Baileywick and assemble the castle guards. Hopefully Sofia and Dante are still close enough to the castle that we’ll find them without too much trouble.”

XXXXXX

Sofia and Dante had been walking through the forest for an hour (Dante had been keeping track) and yet the sun still hung high in the sky and the weather had yet to change from its warm, sunny atmosphere. This little outing was starting to take a darker turn for the two children, and Sofia was starting to get worried.

“Dante, I’m not liking this.” She whispered, as if something was watching them and she didn’t want it to hear her. “Ever since we realized something’s wrong the forest feels different.”

“I know. This place is quiet, too quiet.” Dante noted, looking around suspiciously. “We’ve been walking long enough for the sun to move, but it has yet to change position at all. By rights, it should at least be evening now.”

“What’s going on?” Sofia asked him. “What’s causing this?”

“I don’t know, and I really hope we can get out of this without knowing the answer to that.”

They continued walking at a quick but cautious pace, keeping mind of their surroundings. Sofia stayed close to Dante, nervously looking around her. There were no animals about; no insects crawling or buzzing, no birds singing, no squirrels scurrying about. It was dead silent, and Sofia hated it. This was unnatural, and she had a feeling that whatever was behind this was just as unnatural.

After a few more minutes of walking, Sofia heard a rustling sound coming from one of the bushes near them and screamed when something small, about the size of a cat, darted out of the bushes and ran past them.

“Dante!”

“On it!” Dante rushed forward and cast a spell with lightning quick movements of his fingers. A golden net shot from his palm at the small creature but he missed and it vanished from view. “Get behind me!”

The creature jumped out of the bushes at Dante’s face, but the young mage was faster. His hand shot up and the golden net caught the small creature in mid-air. It struggled and growled, but what the two children weren’t expecting was it to actually speak.

“Let Pyra go!” The little creature growled, trying to break out of the net with its claws and failing. “Release Pyra or Pyra will unleash hell upon you!”

Dante and Sofia glanced at each other before getting a good look at their little captive. The small creature was the size of a cat, but looked like a mixmatch of different animals put together. It had the body of a lion cub, but the wings of a bat, a long scorpion tail complete with its own stinger, and—probably its most jarring feature—a human face with a small head of red hair.

“It’s a manticore!” Dante said.

“A manticore?” Sofia repeated. “Like those monsters in the stories?”

Dante nodded. “The very same.”

“Pyra is no monster! Pyra is a hunter!” The little manticore shouted. Sofia took a step back upon seeing the creature’s small but sharp needle-like teeth. “Pyra will make you pay for catching her!”

“You’re a girl?” Dante blurted out in surprise. Sofia nudged him with her elbow, making him grunt. “What?”

“Look, um, Pyra, we’re sorry that we snatched you up like that, but you caught us by surprise.” Sofia said to the angry manticore. “We were already a bit scared, but you made us react badly.”

“Good. It means that you humans fear anything!” Pyra said, though she sounded less angry than she was a minute prior. That was good, Sofia could work with that.

“What exactly were you doing, Pyra?” Sofia asked. “It’s dangerous to be running around this strange forest. Did you get lost from your parents?”

“Pyra’s parents dead. Died fighting the tree woman!” Pyra’s anger returned, though she wasn’t angry at them this time.

‘Tree woman?’ Dante thought and stepped forward. “Pyra, I’m going to let you out of the net now. Can you promise not to attack us if I let you go?”

Pyra glared at him for a moment before giving a curt nod. He snapped his fingers and the net vanished, letting the manticore drop onto her paws. Sofia eyed the sharp stinger as it waved in the air like a snake ready to strike. She heard lots of stories about manticores, but she didn’t know what was true and what was just fiction.

“Pyra, you said that your parents were killed by a tree woman.” Sofia said, kneeling down in front of Pyra. “What did you mean?”

“Pyra and her parents lived here and hunted prey. Pyra’s mama was teaching her how to hunt birds and other big fleshy things. Then tall tree woman come and take over trees. She take over flowers, trees, grass, everything!” Pyra frowned and looked down. “Pyra’s papa and mama tried to fight back, but they were killed. Pyra…Pyra saw it happen.”

Sofia frowned and gave Pyra a sad look. She reached out with a hand to place it on Pyra’s head, but the little manticore shied away, trying to look strong but failing with her watery eyes. Dante looked at Pyra sympathetically, knowing that anything that could kill two full grown manticores was dangerous. Then he realized something.

“Tree woman…” He looked up at the bright, clear sky and then at the sun still frozen above them. A million thoughts ran through his head and he put the pieces together to make one horrifying conclusion that he didn’t want to make. “Oh god.”

“Dante, what’s wrong?” Sofia asked.

“I think I know where we are.” He whispered.

“What do you mean? We’ve already been in this part of the forest before.” She said.

“No, this is different. We’re not in the forest anymore,” Dante replied. “This place…it’s magic.”

He looked up at the trees and scowled.

“This is a fairy circle.”

XXXXXX

Night had fallen and no one in the royal family had eaten dinner, let alone sat still enough to even look at food. Roland had sent out the castle guards to scout every inch of the castle grounds, but they found nothing. Miranda had contacted the trolls down in the caves below to see if they knew anything, but King Magnar and Gnarly also saw no sign of Sofia and Dante.

Amber and James were worrying themselves sick just like their parents. They hadn’t seen Sofia all day, and learning that Dante was missing too only made them more stressed out.

“This is bad, James.” Amber said as she paced in her room. James was sitting on her bed, regulated to keeping his sister calm. “Sofia’s out there all alone, and she could be in deep trouble.”

“Amber.”

“And I heard that people from Rosemary and the other towns were disappearing around this time as well. What if Sofia’s one of them now?”

“Amber.” James called out.

“Oh god, what if Dante was taken too? He’s the best magician we have that’s our age. If we lose him and Sofia…”

“Amber!”

Amber jumped and turned to James, who had to shout at her to get her attention. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Amber, you’re not helping anyone by panicking. Dante’s the best magician we know, nothing will happen to him.” He said.

“But what about Sofia?” Amber demanded. “She doesn’t know how bad faeries are like we do. What if she ends up like those other people that went missing?”

“Sofia’s a strong girl, and smart too. She’ll know how to take care of herself.” James said. “And if Dante’s with her, then she’ll be fine. Right now we just need to focus on finding them.”

“And how do we do that? Cedric’s used a dozen locator spells but they’ve found nothing.” Amber sighed and rubbed her forehead, starting to feel faint. “I can’t let what happened to Amy happen to Sofia, James. I…I don’t think I can handle it.”

James winced and held his twin’s hand to comfort her. Amy was one of Amber’s friends from her first year at Royal Prep. She was a member of Amber’s little circle of friends, one of the few true friends that Amber had during her “noble lady” phase before Sofia joined the family. Amy was no one special, but she was a talented artist and had drawn numerous portraits of Amber that were increasingly better as her skills grew.

The, one day, Amy disappeared. No one knew what happened, only that she was last spotted heading into the forest without a chaperone. Her parents had sent out every available soldier to search for the girl, but for almost two weeks no one had found a sign of her. They later learned of Amy’s unfortunate fate when they found the remains of her dress…and the bloodied bones that were sitting in a pile within that dress. Amber had trouble sleeping without an aid for weeks after that.

The twins sat back down on the bed and James held Amber close, rubbing her shoulder to calm her down. “Amber, it’ll be alright. Sofia and Dante will be fine. They’ll come back to us.”

“How do you know that?” Amber asked, sounding tired. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because Sofia and Dante have a habit of making the impossible possible.” James grinned down at her. “And you know better than anyone than to bet against them for anything.”

Amber wanted to believe him, she really did. But she knew that even for people like her little sister and best friend, the unnatural world showed no mercy, not even to children.

XXXXXX

“A fairy circle?” Sofia inquired.

“Sofia, have you heard of any fairy tales where a person discovers a group of fairies or elves and spends hours talking with them, and when they return home they find that hundreds of years have passed?” Dante asked her.

Sofia thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Yes, though I’ve heard only two stories like that.”

“That’s what a fairy circle is. It’s a faery’s domain, a separate space isolated from the rest of the world with its own rules and laws.” Dante explained. “Inside a fairy circle, time moves differently, though by how much varies between the faery that made it. We could spend ten minutes in here and ten weeks would have passed in the real world.”

Sofia gasped. “What?! Dante, we’ve been here for more than an hour. How long has it been outside?”

“I don’t know, and that’s what scares me.” Dante grimaced. “I’ve heard reports of people in Rosemary and the neighboring towns disappearing randomly, and I think it was because they walked into a faery circle. You’ll never know you’ve crossed the boundary into one until it’s too late.”

Sofia bit her lip and looked up at him. “Is there any way we can get out of this place?”

“A fairy circle is connected to the faery that made it. If we find and kill the faery that planted this circle, we can shatter its domain and reappear in the real world.”

“Kill?” Sofia said nervously. “Dante, shouldn’t we at least talk with whoever—“

“No!” Pyra hissed, her stinger waving angrily behind her. “Tree woman not talk. Tree woman only wants to do one thing, and that’s eat! I see many human bones like ones you have. She do this before, many times to many people.”

Sofia and Dante looked at each other.

“There’s your answer.” He said, and knelt down in front of Pyra. “Pyra, I’m going to try to find a way out of this place, but I need your help. Do you know where we can find the faery controlling this place?”

Pyra stared hard at him for a moment before she nodded. “Yes! Pyra knows tree woman! Pyra’s been planning her revenge against her. But tiny human will not win against her. She is too powerful!”

“I think we can manage.” Dante turned to Sofia. “Sofia, the faery we’re looking for is extremely dangerous and powerful. I know I’m asking a lot for you to come along, but—“

“I’m going with you.” Sofia said firmly. “What kind of friend would I be if I let you go in alone?”

Dante smiled up at her and nodded. “Okay, you’ve made your decision. But I’m not letting you rush in without some way to defend yourself.”

He stood up, Pyra as his heel as he stepper to Sofia, close enough for her to see the luminous green of his eyes.

“Sofia, if you want to truly help, then I’m going to have to teach you a few things.” He said. “I’m going to teach you magic.”

XXXXXX

Two days had passed, and there was still no sign of Sofia and Dante. Roland and Miranda were trying hard to look strong, but the fears they had were strong. The lack of good news was starting to wear away at them, and it was getting worse. Even Cedric wasn’t his usual self, sulking about in his tower alone after failing his locator spells several times. Amber and James were holding strong, but there was only so much they could take before the bad thoughts started flooding in.

Miranda sat in the castle library by the window trying to occupy her mind reading fairy tales that she grew up with as a child. The same fairy tales she read to Sofia numerous times back in Rosemary. She needed some way to get her mind off of the lack of information to the children’s whereabouts. Something to keep her from breaking down.

Roland found her staring at the pages of her book but not really reading the words. He quietly walked over to her and sat down next to her at the table, rubbing a hand over hers.

“Miranda, it’s late and you need your sleep.” Roland said.

“I can’t.” Miranda replied softly. “I try, but I keep worrying about Sofia. I know she’s an independent girl, I taught her how to take care of herself growing up, but she’s just a child. There are so many things in this world that prey on little girls like her.”

“I know. I felt the same way when I heard about Amber’s friend, Amy. The same thing happened to her, and Amber hasn’t really been the same since.” Roland sighed. “It’s a common fear all parents have, but as nobles, we’re especially worried about our children’s safety.”

Miranda looked at the storybook before her. “Sofia is the last thing I have from Birk.” She whispered. “She reminds me of him, more than she thinks. Her eyes, her hair, her smile, she got them all from Birk.” She looked at Roland with a small smile. “He was a fisherman, a sailor at heart, and an adventurer who loved the sea and everything about it. We lived together in a seaside town along the coast of Galdiz.

Miranda took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “He was lost at sea during a storm, and no one had been able to find the ship. Everyone on board was lost, including Birk. Sofia was only six when it happened, and I think despite being so young she knew on some level that he wouldn’t be coming back. Sofia didn’t break down or wail, she just cried softly in my arms when we got the news.

Sofia is all I have left of Birk, and I promised myself that I would do my best to keep her safe. To make sure she grew into a woman as strong as her father. Someone we can both be proud of.” Miranda shook her head and put her face in her hands. “But if anything were to happen to her…”

She slowly started to cry and Roland reached over to pull her close. Without saying anything, both kind and queen knew that it was up to Sofia and Dante to make it back alive.

XXXXXX

Pyra led Sofia and Dante through the forest that the two children were now getting sick of seeing. It was going to be a while before they got to their destination, so Dante was giving Sofia a crash course on the basics of magic.

“There is an energy that exists and flows through all living beings, from humans and animals, to faeries and other magical creatures. In Wei-Ling they call it chi, in Tangu they call it Chakra, but ultimate the most common term is mana.” Dante sounded just like Cedric when he was teaching her something, displaying a confidence and sureness that Sofia couldn’t help but admire. “Everyone with a soul has mana, and it is through this energy that magicians of all kinds can use magic. It’s basically the source of our powers.”

Dante held up his hand and a small ball of red light appeared just a few inches above his palm. Sofia and Pyra gasped, though the manticore girl tried to be nonchalant about it.

“Magicians start off learning how to manipulate their mana so that they don’t tire themselves out after casting one spell. All forms of magic use mana in one way or another. Magic is just the application of mana to manipulate the forces of nature. Or at least that’s how Cedric describes it.”

“I had no idea it even existed.” Sofia said.

“It’s not exactly commonly known. Only a certain group of people use magic, and an even smaller amount know how to control their mana. There are martial artists in Wei-Ling who can punch through solid rock and take swords and spears to the body without as much as a cut thanks to their mastery over their energy.” Dante dispersed the ball and looked at her. “Learning how to control your energy is the first step to being a magician. If you can’t manage that, then forget about casting spells.”

“Okay, then how do I control it?” Sofia asked.

Dante looked around at the forest around them. “I can’t really show you exactly how since we don’t have time right now, but I can give you some instruction.” He turned around and poked a finger into her belly, making her squeak. “Right here is your body’s center of balance. Magicians call it your core, the source of the body’s energy. Focus on the mana swirling around inside your core, and draw it to your limbs, and from there it will reach your hands and become energy.”

He flicked his hand and a bright red blade of energy formed from his hand like a sword. He waved it around a bit before drawing his mana back into him.

“That sounds easy.” Sofia remarked.

“Typically you’d be sitting in one place meditating for hours until you feel a tingling in your belly, but time isn’t a luxury that we have right now.” Dante said. “I’ll show you the rest when we get out of this nightmare forest.”

They walked for a few more minutes in silence, with only the quiet growls of Pyra as their only companion (she was really aggressive towards flowers, though neither Sofia nor Dante called her out on it). After a while, Sofia decided to ask something.

“Dante, did Cedric teach you all of that?”

“Yeah, but not as elegantly. Remember, Cedric taught me magic since I was just a wee lad. It was my favorite past time, even the boring bits.” Dante smiled at the crazy memories he had. “Growing up with Cedric is certainly an adventure, I’ll tell you that.”

Sofia smiled a bit, knowing the usual dynamic between godfather and godson. Which brought up another question she had. “Um, Dante, forgive me for asking this, but…if Cedric’s your godfather…then who is your real father?”

Unexpectedly, the question didn’t bother Dante like she thought it would. “My real father’s name was Damien. He was probably the only real friend Cedric had growing up as students in Hexley Hall, even before Greylock. Now even as a teenager Cedric wasn’t very confident in his abilities, but dad gave him a helping hand. Honestly, Cedric would go on for hours about how dad had saved him, helped him, even supported him after he had a falling out with his sister. I suppose you could say that they were brothers in a sense. Always there for each other in their extraordinary lives of magic and sorcery.”

Sofia saw his expression fall and knew what he would say next wasn’t a happy memory. “When dad died, it was like Cedric just reset himself. All his ambitions and drive just…went away. He was really broken by losing my dad, and he still gets a bit sad whenever he thinks of him.” Dante narrowed his eyes. “But what was really curious was his last wish.”

“His last wish?” Sofia inquired and her eyes widened. “Having Cedric raise you.”

“Yup. Before my dad died, he showed up at Cedric’s tower during a rainstorm, looking haunted and scared. He wouldn’t tell Cedric what happened, only that he had gotten into trouble with some faeries and practically begged Cedric to take care of me, protect me.” Dante’s voice was almost as whisper as he said this. “His body was found two days later in a flower field, looking like he had been through a serious fight. I don’t think I need to tell you how hard Cedric cried when he got the news.”

“Dante, I’m so sorry.” Sofia said and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you know about your mother?”

“No, Cedric’s never met the woman, and whenever he tried to ask dad about her, he’d avoid the subject.” He replied. Seeing Sofia’s look, he added, “Look, I’m okay, Sofia. I’m not as sad about it, really. Hard to be when I’ve never met dad, though I do wish I could have met him. I probably would have loved to meet the man who could make Cedric laugh and smile.”

Talking about Cedric reminded the children about home, which soured the mood a little. Time moved differently in a fairy circle, and they had no idea how much time had passed in the real world. They had to get out of there fast before a century went by without them.

Thankfully Pyra knew the way, and it wasn’t all that hard to find the lair of the faery trapping them here.

“Tree woman’s scent leads here.” Pyra growled. “Her scent is everywhere!”

“Yeah, don’t need to be a manticore to know that.” Sofia said with wide eyes.

As they walked deeper into the faery’s domain, the trees and flowers had begun to shift and warp around them, like an illusion being broken. The two children were now standing in a dark forest taken straight out of a gothic writer’s dreams; the trees were so white they looked to be made of bone, and the leaves were a dark green that they almost looked black at an angle. They stood underneath tall flowers that had blood red petals and fully functional eyes blinking rapidly as they watched the two humans hungrily.

“Looks like we found the place.” Dante said dryly.

“So what now?” Sofia asked.

“This is where I take the lead. A faery with this much power over their domain is strong, and I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire.” They came to a stop at a circle of trees, an entrance to a glade with a single flower in the middle. Dante turned to Sofia and looked at her seriously. “Sofia, I need you to stay here and keep our little spitfire here from charging in. It’s going to get crazy, so please watch yourself and run if things don’t look good for me.”

“I’m not leaving you behind. We’re getting out of this together, Dante.” Sofia said strongly.

Dante didn’t have it in him to refute her and just nodded. “Yeah, we’re getting out together.” He smiled. “Now get ready, I’m going to start this party off strong.”

He turned back around and pointed his hand at the flower. “Thunder Fist!”

A large bolt of lightning shot from his fist and hit the eye flower dead center. It trembled and shook from the impact, but suffered no visible damage. However the flower began to shake violently, and then the ground began to tremble like an earthquake was taking place. Sofia, Dante and Pyra struggled to maintain their footing at the earth split apart and vines erupted from the ground to wrap around the flower and take shape.

Whatever Dante was expecting to fight, it certainly wasn’t this.

XXXXXX

The faery known as Jera was once worshipped as a harvest goddess by various agricultural communities in the distant past. Humans would present her offerings in return to a bountiful harvest and rich soil for their crops. Though she was no goddess, Jera soon saw herself as one, a goddess of life and death, upon which the humans depended on her. Jera did not ask for much, all she required was one thing…sacrifices. Of the human variety to be precise.

Men, women, children, she did not care how old or what gender they were, all she required was blood in order to fuel her powers and give the humans what they want. It wasn’t as if they were guiltless in this. How many times had she witnessed parent sacrificing their children to her? How many times had she listened to the screams of entire families fighting over who is to be offered up next? It was so riveting for Jera, who enjoyed the power she held over them.

The blood of humans fueled her powers, and she murdered hundreds before she was eventually driven out of her native forest by a powerful sorcerer. And so Jera moved from forest to forest, luring wayward humans into her realm before devouring them right down to the bone. She had spent a good many years in Enchancia, the humans there had surprisingly rich energy in their bodies, especially the children.

Of course, Sofia and Dante didn’t know this. All they were worried about was how fearsome Jera’s looked as she took shape before them.

Jera’s true form took the shape of the massive upper body of a woman. Her skin was composed of rough bark, her hair composed of vines and leaves, and her jagged teeth were made from rock. Her eyes were large and round like two moons, glowing with an unearthly energy, and her arms looked like massive tree trunks tipped not with fingers, but with roots. Her body was large and round, and it made her look more imposing, as if her lower body wasn’t made of large roots digging into the ground.

Dante and Sofia looked up at the imposing faery with wide eyes and no small amount of fear. Jera was large and strong looking, nothing like what they were expecting.

“I thought you said she was a tree woman!” Sofia exclaimed.

“She is. Pyra said she looks like tree.” Pyra said.

“She’s no tree woman, she’s a freaking goliath!” Dante shouted. “For heaven’s sake, I prepped myself into thinking she was something evil dryad, not a bloody monster!”

“It is no difference!” Pyra yelled.

“It is to me!” Dante yelled back.

“Can we please focus on the giant tree woman looking at us like we’re food?” Sofia cut in. when she saw Jera lean forward, she quickly scooped Pyra up into her arms and jumped back. “Look out!”

Jera raised a massive fist and brought it down on the children. Dante and Sofia jumped apart, but the faery’s fist made the ground tremble from her immense strength. He stumbled a bit before wordlessly casting a spell, rubbing his hands together to increase the heat in his palms. Dante kept this up until smoke started to rise from his hands, and when he pulled them apart, a long fiery whip extended between his hands.

He cracked the whip against Jera’s face, leaving behind burning scratches along her bark-like skin. Jera roared and leaned forward on her hands to chase after him, swiping at the boy with her large hands. Dante led her away from the girls, weaving between the trees to escape the large grasping vines from Jera’s hands. The fact that there were trees in her way did little to deter the large faery as she scrambled to catch the little mage, hissing and growling as he lashed out with fiery strikes to her face and hands.

“Flare bolt!” Dante launched a flame missile at Jera’s face, but she blocked it with her arm and dug her fingers into the ground. Large roots burst from the ground and shot at Dante, who slashed his flaming whip at them to cut them down. He jumped away from a sweeping vine, but was hit from behind by another one that threw him to the ground.

Dante ignored the pain in his back and dodged a punch from Jera, leaping to the side and slashing the whip across her arm. He channeled more power into the whip, creating a large fireball at the tip, and swung it at her hand. The fireball exploded, completely blasting off her right hand, and she reeled back I anger and pain. The howl Jera gave was deafening and Dante watched in horror as her arm began to grow back, reshaping into an entirely new limb.

“Bridget’s Britches, I’m screwed!” Dante groaned.

XXXXXX

Sofia struggled to keep Pyra in her arms as she watched Dante fight the massive faery. He shot multiple spells at her, but the monstrous creature was barely fazed by even the flames he conjured as she relentlessly pursued him. Sofia knew Dante was strong, but fighting a regenerating monster was eventually going to tire him out.

“Let Pyra go!” Pyra hissed. “Pyra will save tiny human! She is strong!”

“You’re not going anywhere, Pyra. You’ll just be a distraction.” Sofia said, holding the manticore tighter. Sofia winced when she saw Dante get smacked into a tree and fought to keep her worry down. “There’s got to be something I can do. He’s not going to last any longer like this.”

Sofia wasn’t really sure what she could do. She didn’t know magic and she certainly was no fighter. She’d just be getting in the way. But…if she could at least give Dante some time to come up with another plan of attack…

She reached up and grasped her amulet. It was supposed to be magical, and it certainly was, but could it help her fight a faery? Sofia didn’t have time to contemplate, Dante needed her help and she had to try something.

Putting Pyra down by her feet, Sofia wrapped her hand around the amulet and closed her eyes. “Please, amulet, help me out, just this one. I don’t know what you can do, but I need to save my friend. Help us!”

To her surprise, the amulet began to glow, warming up in her hand. She looked down and saw the purple jewel lighting up, nearly blinding her. Then she felt a heat growing in her stomach, and that heat began to spread towards her chest and down her arms, towards her hands. Something told her to raise her arms at Jera, and Sofia did just that, not really knowing what else to do.

Sofia didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t purple energy shooting out of her hands!

XXXXXX

Dante jumped when the side of Jera’s head suddenly exploded from an attack from behind. He glanced behind Jera to see Sofia’s body engulfed in light, energy surging from her hands to fire energy bolts that blasted huge chunks of the faery’s body apart.

“I have no idea how you’re doing it, but thanks, Sofia!” Dante grinned. He closed his eyes and knelt down onto the ground. He placed his hands on the soft grass and focused, calling upon the natural energy present in the area. If he was going to end this monster, he needed to do it in style!

Jera’s attention was now fully on Sofia, who kept shooting purple bolts of energy into her chest. She hissed and lumbered towards the girl, ignoring the blasts that destroyed parts of her body. Sofia’s assault was starting to taper off as she began feeling the effects of using so much energy in such a short amount of time.

Sofia took a step back, sweat dripping from her forehead down her face. The amulet’s power was lowering and she was starting to feel faint. But she forced herself to remain standing, putting herself in front of Pyra and glaring up at Jera. She saw Jera’s eyes focus on the amulet and knew that the faery was attracted by its power.

“You’re not having us.” Sofia told Jera. “And you’re not taking anyone else. This ends here!”

Jera roared in Sofia’s face and raised her remaining arm to crush the girl, but she never got the chance, for Dante finally made his move.

“Sofia, move!” He called out.

Sofia quickly gathered Pyra up and ran away. Jera spun around to see Dante standing behind her, a towering pillar of flames spiraling out of his hands. He sent her a weak grin and brought his hands down, bringing the flaming pillar down on Jera’s head with a mighty roar.

Sofia only saw the fire pillar dig into Jera’s head before she was blinded by the following explosion that came after it. She covered Pyra’s face and looked away, her dress billowing in the strong wind as the flaming burst cut Jera’s body in two and destroyed her from the inside out. Her ears were ringing when the chaos was finally over, and when she was sure that she would get a face full of dirt and wood, Sofia opened her eyes and looked up.

Dante was on his knees in the middle of a pile of ashes, tired and pale, covered in sweat with his clothes sporting burns everywhere. It took Sofia a moment to realize that the ashes were what remained of Jera’s body and she smiled.

“Dante, you did it!” Sofia laughed and ran over to him with Pyra in tow.

“Tiny human killed tree woman?” Pyra blinked, unable to believe it.

Sofia knelt down by Dante and tried to help him up, but she gasped when she saw that patches of his skin were covered in pure crystal. “Dante, what’s happening to you?”

“It’s okay, it’s only temporary.” Dante panted, looking at the smooth patch of crystal on his exposed arm. He could barely keep himself away right now, but he somehow managed to remain conscious. “Let this be a lesson to you, Sofia. There is natural energy all around us, and magicians can harness that energy to increase their powers ten-fold. But if you absorb too much natural energy, your body will begin to crystalize. A lot of sorcerers and sorceresses were turned into crystal statues because they pushed too far. Don’t let this happen to you.”

Sofia nodded, watching the crystal patches on Dante’s skin slowly fade away. Suddenly they both felt the air change around them, and when they looked around, they saw the dark, abnormal forest start to shimmer like ripples in a pool.

“I think we did it.” Dante said, answering Sofia’s unspoken question. “Killing that thing will cause the fairy circle to disperse. I think…I think we’re free.”

Pyra looked around cautiously, staying close to Sofia. “Does that mean…tree woman is dead?”

“Yes, Pyra,” Sofia nodded, smiling down at her. “She’s dead…and we’re going home.”

The environment around them warped and distorted before the realm finally collapsed and exploded in a blinding burst of light.

XXXXXX

Cedric was the first to feel the strong magical disturbance, but Roland and Miranda were the first to see it. A powerful invisible pulsewave reverberated throughout the forest, quickly washing over the castle grounds. It sent Rhea, Mona and Wormwood into a frenzy for several minutes before they calmed down.

“Your Majesty!” Cedric burst into Roland’s office, but the king and queen were already on their feet and moving.

“I know, Cedric. Go to the courtyard and meet with the guards. I’ll be down shortly.” Roland ordered. He turned to Miranda. “Miranda…”

“If you’re going, I’m going too.” She said strongly. “That light…I think it might have something to do with the children.”

Roland didn’t have the heart to refute his queen so he smiled and nodded, pulling her along. They went down to the courtyard, mounted their horses and were off with a contingent of guards following behind them.

Roland and Cedric were at the front of the group, with Cedric using a locator spell to lead the way through the dense forest. Thanks to him, it didn’t take them very long to find the location where the light went off. The trail had led them to a small glade, which was filled with smoke and smelled distinctly of ash.

“What happened here?” Miranda asked. “It’s like a bomb went off.”

“MOM!”

Miranda froze when she saw a small figure running out of the smoke cloud towards her. It was Sofia! She jumped off her horse and ran towards her daughter, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

“Sofia!” Miranda cried, hugging her daughter tightly. “Oh I’m so happy you’re safe!”

“Mom.” Sofia whispered, pressing her face into her mother’s chest and never letting go. She felt another pair of arms wrap around her and looked up to see a very relieved king Roland hugging her too. “Dad.”

“Welcome home, Sofia.” Roland smiled.

Off to the side, Dante and Cedric had their own little reunion. Cedric looked at Dante’s exhausted form and a frown formed on his face when he saw the small patches of crystal on his skin.

“Dante, did you…?”

“Sorry, Cedric. Got a bit desperate near the end fighting the faery that trapped us.” Dante said with a sigh. “Don’t worry, I’ll heal in a few—“

He grunted when Cedric knelt down and hugged him close. Dante’s eyes widened for a moment before he smiled and patted Cedric’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Cedric. I’m not going anywhere.”

Pyra sat off to the side, watching the two tiny humans have their reunions with their families. She was happy that the tree woman was dead and she was no longer trapped in that wretched place, but she didn’t know what to do now. Her parents were dead, and she couldn’t stay in her old den anymore. Orphaned cubs like her, even manticore ones, don’t last long on their own in the wild. Not that Pyra cared. She wasn’t going to be easy to kill, that’s for sure!

“Pyra?” Pyra looked up and saw Sofia walking towards her. Sofia smiled a bit at the wary look on the cub’s face and held out her hand. “Pyra, I know you have no place else to go, and I know you’re wary of humans, but if you want, you’re welcome to come back home with us. There’s plenty of room in the castle for you, and—“

Before Sofia or Pyra knew it, the manticore had rushed forward into Sofia’s arms, knocking her over. Looks like the princess got her answer.

XXXXXX

Three whole days had passed. Sofia could hardly believe it. Time really did pass differently in a fairy circle. It felt like only a couple of hours had passed in that forest to her. Faery magic was scary.

Her and Dante’s reunion with James and Amber was every bit as loud and tearful as they expected. Amber was worried to the point of tears and wouldn’t let Sofia go, and she even got a few constricting hugs off of Dante before he ran back to his tower. Eventually her parents managed to calm Amber down and brought Sofia back inside to her room, along with her new manticore friend, Pyra (it took some convincing to allow a baby manticore with a vicious scorpion tail to stay with her, but Sofia assured her parents that Pyra was safe).

It felt good to be back again in her room, and she had a wonderful time seeing Rhea and Mona again, but Pyra’s inclusion into her little circle of animal friends brought about an unexpected issue she didn’t foresee.

“Get off.”

“No.”

“Get off!”

“No!”

Mona was glaring at Pyra, who was sitting on Sofia’s bed, right in the spot she always sleeps on. The manticore cub had commandeered the sleeping spot and wouldn’t budge.

“This is Pyra’s territory now! Leave Pyra’s den or she’ll remove you!” Pyra growled.

“Girl, I’m the last cat you should be threatening.” Mona hissed. “Now get out of my spot or I’ll cut you!”

As Rhea sighed at the odd scene, Sofia just smiled and got ready for bed. It was good to be back home.


	8. Louder than Words

Chapter 8-Louder than Words

It had been a long and exhausting week for Sofia. After she and Dante managed to escape the clutches of a dangerous faery and made it back home, her parents gave her a couple of days to rest from her ordeal. She honestly felt fine, but even Cedric said that it’s best that she rest up. Being trapped in a fairy circle could mess with one’s sense of time, and it’s nothing to ignore.

Sofia spent these days helping Pyra adjust to living in the castle. It took some effort to convince her parents to allow a faery to live with her after nearly being killed by one, but Pyra had nowhere else to go and no living family left. She did admit she was a bit hasty in her decision though. Pyra was extremely aggressive towards anyone save Sofia and Dante. Her sharp claws tore holes in her bedsheets, she treated her sleeping pillows as personal chew toys (or as surrogate enemies to be killed and devoured) and she developed a habit of terrorizing Amber at random times. Pyra said that it was just her instincts, but Sofia thought that the young manticore was just getting a kick out of scaring Amber.

Dante was still talking to Cedric about teaching her magic, but until he got his master’s consent, Dante still taught her the basics of manipulating her mana. These lessons were just long meditation sessions that lasted for hours focusing on spiritual pathways that she could see or feel or something. It was exhausting and boring, but after she accidentally destroyed a statue with a pink energy bolt one weary afternoon, Sofia was content to take things slow.

Those few days of rest were definitely what Sofia needed, because she felt refreshed and excited as ever to return to Royal Prep (James was shocked and appalled by her apparent excitement at returning to school). Apparently news spreads fast around the school, and Sofia had been greeted by James and Amber’s friends upon entering the courtyard. It was a bit disturbing to learn that she was just one of a few children to have escaped a faery trap, but she was happy to see her friends again.

Her first day back at Royal Prep was as normal as it could be. Classes were normal and slow, but still fun to sit through, and there were even a few new faces too! But the highlight of her day was art class, where her teacher, Professor Flora, had the class get started on doing a painting of her favorite Pegasus in the whole world, Maximillian!

“Alright, class,” Professor Flora clapped her hands. She was a stout, round woman with a head of thick grey hair curled around the edges. Her thick multicolored dress was an assault on the eyes, a mixture of colors thrown together as if she had an accident with the paint before class. “Time to do the finishing touches on your paintings. I hope you all had a wonderful time painting this lovely equine stallion who was nice enough to pose for us today.”

Sofia giggled at Maximillian, who tried to act like he didn’t like the way the children were admiring him as he posed in front of the class. He wasn’t as hostile towards the other students as he was before he met Sofia, but he still acted a bit brash against them. Hugo especially gave the pegasus a wide berth whenever the black stallion was near.

“That’s right, you brats. You better appreciate what I’m doing here.” Maximillian grumbled, unheard by everyone expect Sofia. “I’d ask you all to catch my good side, but then you’d have to get every part of me.”

“Oh, Maximillian, stop it.” Sofia laughed, tracing along her painting. “You’re doing wonderful. Thanks for coming.”

“Not like I had a choice, but anything for you, princess.” Maximillian sighed. “But I swear if one of those brats draws me as some black blob, I’m shoving a horseshoe right up his—“

“Lovely work, children!” Flora praised upon seeing Amber and Sofia’s drawings. “Absolutely marvelous. I think that will be all for today, Sir Gillium.” She walked over to Maximillian and patted his head. “And thank you, Maximillian.”

Maximillian snorted and allowed Sir Gillium to lead him out of the classroom. As he passed Sofia’s desk, he whispered, “How do I look?”

Sofia showed him a very stunning stylized painting of Maximillian that she had just finished. Maximillian flashed her a grin and strutted out of the room with his head held high.

“Marvelous.” Sofia heard him say out in the hallway and she giggled again.

“Now that we’re done with painting, let’s move on to our next art project—building your dream castle!” Flora declared.

“Oh yes ma’am.” Amber grinned, already loving the project.

“For this assignment, you will think up a dream castle of your dreams. I can be anything you want, from ordinary to the extraordinary. Let your imagination run free!” Flora explained. “Then you will make a model of your castle and bring it in for show and tell.”

Sofia glanced at Amber and saw that the girl was already in the middle of thinking up her dream castle. She was sure it was going to have a lot of jewels and be really sparkly.

“And because this is such a big project, you will be set up in pairs, and you will work together for the duration of the project to create your castles. Remember, teamwork is dreamwork!” Flora smiled brightly. She took out a list from…somewhere and cleared her throat. “The first pair is Hildegard and Amber.”

The girls sent each other sly grins.

“James and Zandar.”

“Sweet!” Both boys said and fist bumped each other.

“Clio and Hugo.”

Clio sent a dreamy look toward Hugo, who grinned back at her.

“And Sofia and Vivian.”

“Vivian?” Sofia questioned. “Who’s that?”

“Oh dear.” Amber said, shaking her head. “She’s in the back.”

“Probably hiding behind her easel.” Hildegard joked.

Sofia looked to the back of the class and saw a girl with long black hair and olive green eyes wearing a magenta dress sitting a little ways apart from the rest of the class. Knowing this was probably her partner, Sofia smiled and sent her a wave. Vivian froze and immediately hid behind her easel.

“Oh.” Sofia deflated. Was it something she did?

Professor Flora dismissed the class and the children began to leave the room. Feeling that maybe she should be more direct, Sofia got up and walked over to Vivian, who was packing away her things.

“Hi, Vivian.” Sofia greeted the quiet girl, who stiffened in her presence. “I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Sofia.”

“Hello, Sofia.” Vivian said softly.

Sofia waited for her to say something else, but Vivian just stood there looking a bit uncomfortable. Clearing her throat, Sofia tried again. “So…since we’re going to be partners for this project, do you want to come over to my castle so we can work on it?”

“Um, well, no I don’t think so.” Vivian muttered.

“Then how about we go over to your place?” Sofia suggested. “Would that be okay?”

“Uh, yes, of course.” She replied, looking at her feet. “I guess we have to work on the project somewhere.”

Before Sofia could say anything, Vivian was already out the door and down the hall. Sofia stood there perplexed before giving a confused smile.

“See you later!” Sofia called out.

XXXXXX

After school, Sofia left the building and entered the courtyard. She spotted Vivian’s magenta dress hurrying for the front gates, and tried to call out to her, but her attention was diverted by her sister and her friends.

“Sofia!” Amber called her over.

“Hey, Amber.” Sofia greeted her sister with a hug, which Amber returned a bit too tightly, before nodding to Clio and Hildegard. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m just sorry that you got paired up with Vivian.” Amber said. “She’s a bit…strange.”

“Do you know her?” She asked.

“Only that her family are nobles who just moved into that creepy manor a mile from here.” Amber replied. “I got a glimpse of that place while going to visit Clio’s house and it looks like a place a vampire would live in.”

“I heard that her parents are gnomes,” Hildegard said. “And that they used to live in a mountain cave before moving here.”

“A cave?” Sofia squeaked.

“I heard that she has a pet dragon.” Amber said, getting close to Sofia. “A real one that breathes fire and everything!”

“Really? How do you know that?” Sofia asked.

Amber scrunched up her nose and flicked her fan closed. “Well, we don’t.”

“But that’s only because Vivian never talks to anyone.” Clio said.

“And no one has ever been to her manor.” Amber said. She took one of Sofia’s hands and patted it. “When you go over to her manor, just…be careful, okay, Sofia? Good luck!”

The three girls left to catch their coaches and Sofia stood there looking a bit more worried than she was when she left school. What was she getting into?

XXXXXX

Sofia spent the ride home becoming more and more nervous about Vivian, even though she knew it was wrong. She literally just met the girl and now she’s letting all these rumors get to her. She was better than this!

Still, the uncertainty made her seek out ways not to leave for Vivian’s house and she found herself looking in on James and Zandar for an excuse on not to go.

“Hey guys,” Sofia greeted them as she entered James’ room. It was a stark contrast to Amber’s room, full of posters of famous knights, with toy figurines lying across the floor, and a wooden sword sitting next to a wooden dummy. “Still working on your project?”

“Yup. We don’t really know what we want in it yet.” Zandar said, drawing the outline of their sketched out castle on a large piece of paper.

“But we know it’s going to have cannons. Lots of cannons.” James grinned.

“And a whole lot of other things that go boom.” Zandar said and the two boys high fived each other.

There was a knock on the door and Sofia heard her mother’s voice behind her. “Sofia, there you are. The coach is ready to take you to Vivian’s.”

“Oh, right. Um,” Sofia tried to think of an excuse. “That sounds great, mom, but I think James and Zandar might need my help making their castle.”

“No, we’re good.” James said, adding yet another cannon to the third level of his castle. “You should go ahead, Sof. We’ll be fine.”

“Oh…okay.” There went that idea. Sofia tried to keep her smiled plastered on her face as she stood up and went to the door. “Well, good luck on your castle.”

“Thanks, Sof.” James looked at their concept sketch and grinned. “Okay, I think that’s enough cannons. But I think it’s still missing something.”

“What about a trebuchet?” Zandar suggested.

“A what?” James asked. Zandar smirked.

“Oh you’re gonna love what it does, James.”

Outside, Sofia and Miranda walked down the hall towards Sofia’s room. Seeing how nervous her daughter looked, Miranda decided to break the ice and see what was bothering her.

“So,” She began. “Is there a reason you’re trying to find a way not to visit Vivian?”

Sofia started and looked up at her surprised. “How did you know?”

“I’m a mother, Sofia. It’s my job to know these things…and you weren’t being very subtle about it either.” Miranda said smiling.

“Oh.” Sofia muttered.

“So what’s bothering you? You’re usually excited to meet new people.”

“Well, everyone at school says Vivian is strange.” Sofia said.

“Why’s that?” Miranda asked.

“I don’t know. No one knows, actually.” Sofia answered as they stopped at her room.

“Have you tried talking to her?”

“I did, but she barely said a word.” She sighed.

Miranda put a hand on her head. “Well you’re not going to really get to know her unless you take the time to talk to her. Not everyone’s comfortable meeting new people. Remember how you were when we moved into the castle?”

“Yeah, I do.” It felt like a lifetime ago. She and Amber were barely on speaking terms when they first met, and now Amber would barely let her out of her sight. “I’m being stupid. After that mess in the forest, I’ve been jumping at shadows thinking anything strange is dangerous.”

“That’s okay, Sofia. It will take time for you to really recover from that ordeal.” Miranda hugged Sofia and kissed her forehead. “Now go get ready. Wouldn’t want to leave a bad first impression on your new friend, right?”

“Right, thanks mom.” Sofia said, feeling a little better now.

XXXXXX

As Sofia got ready to leave, she talked to her animal friends about visiting Vivian. Though talking to her mother helped curbed any serious misgivings she had about the girl, some part of her still wondered if certain rumors, like the dragon, were true in some way.

“I don’t know, guys.” Sofia said as she shoved her notebook into her bag. “What do you bring to a castle full of bats and gargoyles?”

“A torch, holy water, and an automatic multi-barreled crossbow?” Mona suggested. Sofia and Mona gave her dry looks, and she huffed. “What? You can’t be too prepared these days.”

“I’m working on a school project with her, Mona, not planning to mount her head on my wall.” Sofia admonished. “

“You shouldn’t let these rumors get to you, princess.” Rhea said. “Amber and her friends trade gossip about everybody they meet, especially new people, and most of those rumors are wrong or grossly inaccurate.

“And the stuff that is accurate?” Mona asked.

“Rare occasions that had nothing to do with the rumors themselves.” The eagle said. Mona rolled her eyes.

“I get that, but what if Vivian does have a pet dragon?” Sofia asked. “What do I do then?”

“If there is a dragon threatening alpha Sofia, then Pyra will be there to stab it.” Pyra said, joining the girls after getting tired of mauling yet another sleeping pillow with her sharp teeth. “And Pyra will stab the other tiny human as well!”

“Please don’t stab people, Pyra.” Sofia sighed. “But if you want to come along, I’m happy to bring you with me.”

Mona looked at her like she was crazy. “Sofia, are you serious? She just promised to stab anyone who looked at you funny.”

“Pyra needs to get out every once in a while, Mona. She’s getting bored of staying on the castle grounds all day.” Sofia closed her bag and stood up. “Besides, I thought you’d be glad she was out of your fur for a little while.”

Mona opened her mouth but couldn’t really protest this. Pyra’s sudden addition to their little circle of friends grated on her nerves, but her annoyance with the manticore was mainly because of the potential danger she posed to Sofia. Manticores were dangerous predators, and they were quick to anger. What if Pyra accidentally stabbed Sofia with her stinger and poisoned her? She’d be dead within a day!

“Sofia will be fine, Mona.” Rhea assured her, though she too looked a bit wary of letting her go alone with a hyper-aggressive manticore. “I’m sure Vivian is a very nice girl who is just being misunderstood. And if the dragon worries you that much, then Pyra is more than enough to handle that domesticated beast.”

“Feather lady is right. Pyra has been perfecting her stabbing technique for moments like this.” Pyra said, repeatedly stabbing her scorpion tail forward at the bed post. “No one can match Pyra’s stabbing abilities!”

“Pyra, don’t poke holes in my bed!” Sofia exclaimed.

XXXXXX

The flight to Vivian’s manner didn’t take long. In fact, it felt almost a little too short given how deep in her own thoughts Sofia was…and how busy she was keeping Pyra from poking several holes into the coach with her stinger. Manticores hated flying. Who knew?

When the coach reached its destination, Sofia was greeted not by some large cave at the foot of a mountain or an underground cavern like the ones the trolls lived in, but a rather magnificent manor that showed their status as nobles. Sofia took one look at the manor and cracked a smile at the old time charm it had.

“This place doesn’t look too bad. It’s certainly better than a cave.” Sofia commented as the coach came to a stop in front of the manor. Sofia got out with Pyra close behind her and walked through the front gates, entering the front yard and was greeted by three rows of purple and blue flowers that were mixed together in a subtle yet vibrant color scheme.

“Where are the people I want to stab?” Pyra asked, looking around anxiously. “You promised Pyra that I could stab someone!”

“I didn’t promise anything, and you’re not stabbing anyone here, Pyra.” Sofia whispered.

She jumped when she heard the door open and looked up to see a woman in a dark green dress with violet and magenta flower flowers along the skirt walk down the stairs to greet her.

“You must be Princess Sofia. It is an honor to have you visit our home.” The woman smiled and curtseyed to her. “I’m Cecily, Vivian’s mother.”

“Please to meet you.” Sofia smiled, keeping an eye on Pyra to make sure that she behaved. Cecily seemed like a nice woman, and certainly didn’t look like a gnome like the girls at school believed. “You have a beautiful home, ma’am.”

“Thank you. This manor used to belong to an older noble family who moved away five years ago. It took a long time for the servants to renovate the manor so that we could move here.” Cecily turned back to the door and saw her daughter standing there, nervously hiding out of sight. “Vivian, could you show Sofia to your room, please?”

“O-Okay.” Vivian said and looked at Sofia. “R-Right this way, princess.”

Sofia took Pyra into her arms and carried her inside. She followed Vivian into her home, which looked bigger on the inside than it did outside, and Sofia couldn’t help but admire the slight gothic aesthetic to the place that made the manor both intimidating and cool at the same time.

“Sofia,” Pyra whispered. “Can I stab those things up there?” She asked, nodding at the gargoyle statues.

“No, you cannot. Seriously, Pyra, we need to talk about your stabbing obsession.” Sofia hissed.

“What was that?” Vivian asked, looking behind her.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, this is my friend, Pyra. She’s a manticore, and a bit of a handful.” Sofia said sheepishly.

Possible for the first time since they first met, Vivian gave a small smile at the little manticore. “Oh really? I have a pet too, and she’s as unconventional as your friend there.”

“Is that so?” Sofia gulped. “What kind of pet is she?”

“A dragon.” Vivian said and stopped in front of her door. “She’s a bit of a handful, but she’s really sweet.”

Vivian pushed open her door and a blue blur flew out past her and flew circles around Sofia. Sofia yelped and dropped Pyra in shock, but she calmed down when the small creature plopped itself in her arms. It was a dragon, but not the kind of dragon she was expecting.

The dragon was just a baby, no bigger than a housecat, with bright blue scales and short wings. She looked up at Sofia with her large eyes and smiled.

“That’s Crackle.” Vivian said. “She likes meeting new people.”

“Oh she’s adorable.” Sofia cooed.

“Thanks. Truthfully, it’s illegal to have dragons as pets, but my cousin runs a dragon sanctuary over in Zumaria and she sent Crackle to us so she could better grow up around humans without being bullied by the older dragons. It didn’t take long to get attached to her.” Vivian smiled. Sofia decided that she liked Vivian better when she smiled.

“Um, I’m sorry I was acting so nervous. I was just a little…”

“Afraid to come over here?” Vivian finished.

“What? No, no, that’s…that’s not it. Okay, maybe a little.” Sofia coughed. “I wasn’t at school when you moved here and started attending Royal Prep, and my sister and her friends had told me about you. They said some pretty…odd things.”

“Like the gnomes, and the bats, and the strange noises?” Vivian guessed.

“Just the gnomes and the bats.” Sofia said. “How’d you know?”

“Oh I’ve heard all of them. The girls aren’t really as discreet as they think they are when talking about other people.” Vivian sighed. “They don’t even realize I’m standing right next to them sometimes!”

“If you know they’re talking about you, why don’t you say something?” Sofia asked.

“Well, that’s…you see…” Vivian looked away and lowered her head, mumbling to herself. “I have troubling talking to new people. My words get stuck in my throat, and I start mumbling, and I just clamp up. What I’m trying to say is that I get a little…”

“Shy?” Sofia said, smiling softly.

“Shy, that’s the word.” Vivian said.

“It’s okay, I understand. Moving to a new place is scary and it takes some getting used to.” Sofia said. “Why don’t we get started on our project? I’m sure it’ll go smoother now that we’re talking to each other.”

“Of course. We can work on it in my room.” Vivian said and opened the door.

“Pyra, I’m going to leave you out here with Crackle, okay?” Sofia said to the little manticore.

“But winged lizard will try to eat Pyra!” Pyra hissed. It was still a bit disconcerting to see such a human face deform into those bestial expressions. “Pyra will stab her!”

“No stabbing, Pyra. Be nice to her. You need to make new friends anyway, and you can start with Crackle.” Sofia said and went into Vivian’s room. “Have fun!”

Pyra glared at Sofia as the door closed and moved to poke a few holes in it out of spite. She didn’t sense Crackle behind her until the blue dragon whispered to her.

“Hi!”

“Ah!” Pyra screamed and spun around, stabbing her stinger forward at Crackle’s head. But instead of feeling the sweet sensation of her stinger sinking into flesh, it was deflected by Crackle’s hard scales. “What? That’s not supposed to happen when you stab people!”

“That tickled!” Crackle laughed and shoved her face at Pyra. “I’m Crackle, but you already know that. Vivian just said my name literally a few seconds ago. You’re Pyra right? You look really cool. I’ve never seen a manticore before. Hey, is it true you guys have three rows of teeth?”

“Back up before Pyra gives you the ring paw!” Pyra growled and shot back, though Crackle was still able to match her speed despite her small wings and quickly snatched her up in a hug. “Let go!”

“Aw, but we’re already bonding so well. I’ve never had another animal friend before, so this is really cool.” Crackle went on. “I’m glad that Vivian has a friend too. She’s a sweet girl, but it’s a darn shame that she doesn’t have friends. Maybe Sofia could help her get out of her shell like a turtle or something. Oh, do manticores eat turtles? I bet those teeth of yours can break through anything!”

Pyra’s enraged hisses (she wasn’t old enough to roar yet) filled the empty halls. Back in the royal castle, Mona suddenly felt the urge to laugh victoriously.

XXXXXX

Sofia and Vivian set up their things in the room and had gotten started on planning what they wanted for their castle. Or at least Sofia did. Vivian was mostly quiet as Sofia listed her ideas out.

“So I was thinking that we could have the pegasus stables on the outside of the castle, and maybe a sorcerer’s tower right here.” Sofia pointed to the eastern edge of the castle. “Of course we don’t have to have a sorcerer’s tower, but I’m just a little bit biased towards them. Oh, and a library on the second floor. Every good castle needs a library, you know? What about you, Vivian?”

“Huh? Me?” Vivian blinked.

“Yeah, what do you want to put into our castle?” Sofia asked.

“Oh, um, well…” Vivian stumbled over her words, retreating back into her shell as she couldn’t vocalize her thoughts. Sofia decided to spare her any embarrassment and came up with an idea.

“How about you show me your favorite places instead?” She suggested.

Vivian smiled. “That’s a good idea.”

Vivian led Sofia to another room down the hall. When she let Sofia in, the princess was introduced to a room filled with musical instruments of every kind, some she had seen before, others she didn’t even know existed.

“This is the music room.” Vivian said, sounding a bit afraid that Sofia wouldn’t like it. “It’s my favorite place in the whole castle. Well, my favorite place in the whole world.”

Sofia pressed a key on the piano next to her and smiled. “Vivian, I’ve never seen so many instruments in one place before. Do you know how to play some of these?”

“I know how to play all of them. Er, not all at once, though.” She corrected hastily. She walked over to a smaller guitar-like instrument sitting in a case on a chair and picked it up. “The mandolin’s my favorite.”

Sofia saw how fondly Vivian was looking at her instrument and asked, “Would you…play a little for me? I promise that I won’t say a word.”

“Play for you?” Vivian blinked. Sofia figured this was probably the first time anyone else aside from her parents and teachers had asked her to play an instrument for them. “S-Sure, I can do that.”

Vivian picked up her mandolin and sat down in the chair. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her fingers dance across the strings, letting herself go into the familiar feeling of doing music in her private sanctuary.

Sofia was amazed at the transformation Vivian went through. In the span of just a few seconds, the girl went from the shy wallflower to a confident musician. Her shoulders relaxed and were free of the tension she had all day, and her expression was calm and serene, letting the music take her worries away.

As Vivian relaxed more, her fingers moved quicker and the music became more upbeat and fast paced. A smile spread across her lips and she fully gave herself to the music entirely, playing the familiar tune she liked to play when she was happy. Sofia sat back and watched Vivian become an entirely different person, a happy and talented young girl in her element.

Sofia sat by the piano and listened to Vivian play her tune, smiling softly at how comfortable the girl looked. After a few minutes of playing, Vivian’s melody came to an end and she opened her eyes to see Sofia clapping happily.

“Vivian that was amazing! I’ve never seen someone so young play like that.” Sofia gushed.

“Thank you. I’ve been practicing since I was little. I’ve probably read more music sheets than picture books growing up.” Vivian said shyly. When she saw Sofia looking at her intently, she blushed a bit. “Um, Sofia, what are you…?”

“I think I have the perfect idea for our dream castle.” Sofia said.

“Y-You do?”

“Yup. A music castle!” She declared brightly. “You’re a musical prodigy and I love singing, so why don’t we mix those two together?”

Sofia grabbed Vivian’s hand and practically dragged her back to her room. Running over to the work table, Sofia began work on a new sketch of their castle.

“It could be a castle based entirely around music. The main hall can have statues that sing to visitors when they walk through the doors, and the walls could be lined with portraits of famous magicians.” She said. “The stairs could be musical stairs, with each step a piano key that plays a different note.”

“M-Maybe there could be a bell tower that would chime at the start of every hour.” Vivian suggested, getting into it. “And we can have wind chimes by the winds that make melodies whenever the wind blows.”

Sofia was haphazardly drawing the designs of the castle as she and Vivian got deeper into their brainstorming session. An entire castle dedicated to music, from the instruments themselves to the people who played them. Rooms dedicated to a single instrument, a garden full of musical plants, singing statues, stairs that chimed like a xylophone, the ideas just came pouring out.

“I can already see that this castle is going to be great, Vivian.” Sofia said happily. “You’re really fun to work with.”

“Thanks. I’ve never overheard anyone say that before.”

“That’s just because they don’t know you. The real you. You should try talking to other people at school.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I just get so nervous around large groups of people, and when I get really nervous I freeze up, and sometimes I run away. Well, I run away all the time.” Vivian sighed and looked down. “It’s hard for me to open up to people, Sofia. Just the thought of being around others makes my heart race and I get the jitters. That’s if I don’t immediately turn tail and run.”

“I’ve noticed.” Sofia said.

“Sofia!”

The girls turned to the door, where they saw Pyra running at full speed past them, with Crackle skipping after her with a big grin on her face.

“Leave Pyra alone! She does not associate with what she cannot stab!”

“Oh come on, Pyra, you know stabbing people is bad. Hey, you ever tried using that tail for cricket ball? I think you’d be a killer at that!”

“I think your manticore needs your help.” Vivian giggled.

“Yeah, she’s not good around new people.” Sofia went to pack up her things. “I’ve got to go now, but I’ve had a really great time with you, Vivian. I’m glad I came over today, and I’m really glad we’re partners.”

“I am too.” Vivian said smiling.

The girls went outside to Sofia’s coach, where the princess was already getting inside. Pyra, who was being crushed in a hug by Crackle, was still trying to stab the young dragon when Sofia gently pulled her away.

“It was nice meeting you, Crackle. I’m sure Pyra liked spending time with you too.” Sofia said.

“Will you two come back to visit?” Crackle asked excitedly.

“Of course, I’m sure Pyra wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Ignoring Pyra’s angry hisses, she waved goodbye to Vivian. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Vivian.”

“Okay, Sofia.” Vivian smiled.

“Goodbye, Pyra!” Crackle hollered.

“Pyra will stab you!” Pyra hissed, though Crackle only laughed harder at that.

Vivian waved goodbye to Sofia as the coach flew off into the sky. She watched her friend go with a happy sigh and hugged Crackle to her tightly.

“My first friend, Crackle. Can you believe it?” Vivian laughed, spinning her dragon around. “My first friend!”

This was probably the happiest day of her life. One she’ll never forget for the rest of her days.

XXXXXX

“So, did you have fun with Crackle?” Sofia asked Pyra on the flight home.

“Pyra hates dragons. Pyra tried to stab her but Pyra’s stinger did nothing!” Pyra grumbled.

“Dragons have scales that are as strong as steel, Pyra. Of course your stinger won’t hit her.” Sofia said, giving Pyra a look. “Not that you should be doing that in the first place. No stabbing people who want to be your friends, Pyra.”

“Pyra will not be friends with flying lizard. Pyra was almost lit on fire by her!”

“You just met her, Pyra. Give Crackle a chance.” Sofia ran a hand through Pyra’s hair, earning a purr from the manticore. “I’m sure after getting to know her better you’ll like her more. Crackle’s just someone you need getting used to.”

Pyra scoffed at that, but she didn’t say anything more, just content with letting Sofia pet her and cuddled up into the princess’s side.

There was no way she was going back to Crackle again. Dragons were stupid, even more so after learning that she couldn’t stab them. What’s the point of meeting new people if you couldn’t stab them?

XXXXXX

The next day at school, Sofia met up with Vivian once again, and she was stunned at how different the girl looked. Vivian was still a bit shy, but with Sofia she opened up and Sofia got a good look at the true face of Vivian once she got past that shell of hers.

At lunch the girls were going over more ideas for their music castle, and Sofia let Vivian handle the brainstorm since she seemed to be a roll today.

“Maybe instead of a drawbridge, we can have hippocampi ride people across the moat.” Vivian said. “Oh, should we make them sing? Not actual words, but harmonious melodies whenever they’re happy.”

“What’s a hippocampus?” Sofia asked.

“They’re half horse half fish faeries that live in the ocean. Merfolk use them as steeds to move around faster.” Vivian said. “I don’t know if they sing or not, but a little creative license might be necessary for this project.”

Sofia giggled, greatly enjoying this new side of Vivian she was seeing. As they talked, Sofia looked up and spotted Amber walking into the cafeteria with her friends, Hildegard and Clio.

“There’s my sister.” Sofia said. “And it looks like she’s coming to see us.”

“What?!” Vivian exclaimed. “Oh no, they’re coming over here!”

“It’s okay, Vivian. This is the perfect chance to show them what you’re really like.” Sofia said.

“You mean, ta-talk to them?” Vivian stammered.

“Yes, and you’ll be fine. Just be yourself and remain calm. They’ll love the real you.” Sofia assured her.

Vivian looked over Sofia’s head to see Amber and her friends walking towards their table. She steeled herself and tried to be brave, but the thought of talking to Princess Amber of all people made her extremely nervous. Vivian wanted to open up to other people, but Princess Amber was…intimidating. The way she handled herself, the way she talked, even the way she walked around. It was all so intimidating and scary to Vivian, who didn’t really compare herself to the princess.

This line of thought quickly took root and began to eat away at Vivian’s confidence. She began thinking of the possible outcomes a conversation with Amber’s group could have, and not all of them were nice. This led down a familiar path that Vivian had been down before; thinking the worst and fearing how things would turn out. As her internal worries reached their climax, it led to Vivian doing something that she would normally do in a situation like this.

She ran.

“Vivian?” Sofia exclaimed in shot as the girl shot up from her seat and fast walked out of the cafeteria. “Vivian, wait! Where are you going?”

Vivian was already gone, leaving Sofia alone by the table. The princess stared at the direction Vivian ran in and leaned against the table with a sigh. This was not how things were supposed to go.

“Sofia?” Amber and her friends walked up to the table. “Was that Vivian running away just now?”

“…Yes.” Sofia answered reluctantly. “I’m sorry, I wanted her to meet you, but she, well, she’s just really shy."

“That’s obvious.” Amber remarked.

“Well, Sofia, if you’re shy friend isn’t coming back, feel free to come sit with us.” Hildegard offered.

Sofia just nodded as the girls left to get their food. She sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. This was going to be harder than she thought.

XXXXXX

Sofia left school in a slump after finishing the rest of her day. After ditching her in the lunchroom, Vivian had avoided Sofia for the rest of the day, possibly out of shame. Sofia went home alone and headed straight to her room, where Mona and Pyra were snarling and hissing at each other over a piece of meat that Pyra had gotten from who knows where. Rhea sat on her usual perch playing mediator to pass the time when she noticed Sofia enter the room.

“Hello, Sofia.” Rhea greeted her. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s my friend, Vivian. She’s a really shy girl that I’ve made friends with and she’s struggling to open up to other people.” Sofia sighed as she sat at the window seat. “She ran away at lunch earlier and I hadn’t seen her all day.”

“And you’re going to check up on her?”

“I have to. I don’t want to feel like I forced her to go too far too fast.” Sofia said. She looked at the little manticore at her feet. “Pyra…”

“No! Pyra refuses!” Pyra growled.

“Come on, Pyra, Crackle will be really happy to see you again.” Sofia said. “You’re probably the first friend she’s had in forever.”

“Pyra will not associate herself with flying lizard that spits fire. And she cannot stab flying lizard.” Pyra grumbled, hissing when Mona snatched up the piece of meat. “What’s the point of meeting someone you can’t stab?”

“That’s a good way to meet new people.” Mona remarked. She lazily dodged a jab from Pyra’s stinger and ran off with her catch.

“Please, Pyra, do it for Crackle. She’s your friend.” Sofia pleaded.

“She spits fire.”

“Friend.” Sofia sang.

“Fire!”

Sofia didn’t relent in her pleading look and after a minute of direct eye contact Pyra gave a loud curse and looked away.

“Fine, let’s go!”

Sofia clapped her hands and smiled. “Yay!”

XXXXXX

Sofia and Pyra took a flying coach to Vivian’s manor as soon as possible. Sofia ran up to the front door and knocked on it, and Vivian’s mother opened the door.

“Princess Sofia, welcome back.” Cecily greeted the princess.

“Hello, Lady Cecily.” Sofia greeted her back with a smile. She was starting to see where Vivian got her looks from. Cecily was a beautiful woman who could’ve passed for a famous singer with the way she spoke.

“PYRA!”

A blue blur sped past the girls and slammed into Pyra, sending them both tumbling down the stairs onto the ground. Crackle righted herself and hugged Pyra tightly.

“Oh I missed you, I missed you, I missed you!” Crackle exclaimed, squeezing the life out of the agitated manticore. “Did you miss me, Pyra? Of course you did or you wouldn’t have come back!”

Pyra’s response was to hiss and fruitlessly stab her stinger at Crackle’s head, only for it to bounce off. Stupid dragon scales!

While her two animal friends caught up, Sofia was led into the manor by Cecily, who talked with the girl along the way.

“You know, Vivian has always had problems making friends, even before we moved. So it’s a joy to see that she’s made such a wonderful friend here.” Cecily said before adding, “Even if she’s a bit shy.”

“Vivian’s really fun to be around.” Sofia said. “I love hearing her play music. She’s really talented.”

“You should hear her sing.” Cecily smiled. Sofia looked up her in shock.

“Vivian can sing?”

“Of course. She’s a wonderful singer, though only when she has music to sing to. It’s not something a lot of people know about, but she likes to focus on her music instead.” Cecily sighed wistfully. “Vivian gets it from her grandmother. She would’ve loved Vivian.”

“Music must run in the family.” Sofia commented.

“It does, though I’m hardly on the same level as my mother and daughter. Still, it makes family gatherings a treat.” Cecily smiled.

XXXXXX

Crackle had dragged Pyra all the way to the kitchen, where she said she had a surprise for her. The little dragon kicked the door open with a single kick and pushed Pyra into the kitchen.

“Ta-da!”

Pyra almost smacked her upside the head for manhandling her like she was some ragdoll, but her eyes were immediately drawn to the assortment of meat, from ham to chicken, sitting on the table. Almost immediately her bestial instincts flared up and she felt her stomach rumble with hunger.

“What is this?” She demanded.

“It’s a picnic. I’ve been planning it since you left.” Crackle said and hopped up to snatch a chicken leg for Pyra. When the manticore tried to snatch the chicken up in her jaws, Crackle jumped away from her, earning a hiss. “Whoa, wait until I cook it first!”

“Cook?” Pyra blinked in confusion. She heard Sofia use that word a few times when talking about food. It was how humans were able to safely eat meat, as they couldn’t eat it raw, like manticores. Pyra had never eaten cooked meat before, and hasn’t really thought of it.

Crackle nodded and took a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of blue flames, cooking the meat. She handed the chicken leg to Pyra, who cautiously took it with her teeth and tore off a piece. After only a few chews, Pyra’s eyes widened before she devoured the rest of the chicken.

“This is good!” Pyra exclaimed. “I like it!”

Crackle’s eyes sparkled. “You do?” She gasped and began hopping around. “Oh that’s wonderful! I’m happy you’re happy! Seeing you happy makes me really…really…”

“Over here, flying lizard.” Pyra held up a large chunk of ham and Crackle spat out a burst of flames in her excitement. She skewered the ham on her stinger and took a big bite out of the cooked meat, savoring the different flavor to it that made her groan in delight.

Maybe hanging out with Crackle wasn’t _too_ bad after all.

XXXXXX

Vivian sat alone in her room skimming through her music sheets without really reading the notes on them. It was just something she did to get her mind off of things she didn’t want to think about. She’d usually play music, but even now she didn’t feel like touching an instrument at the moment.

She heard a knock on the door and sighed. “Go away, mom. I’m not feeling good.”

“Vivian?”

Vivian stiffened up and looked over to the door to see Sofia standing there. “Sofia…”

Sofia gave her a small wave and a smile, walking over to Vivian’s bed. “Hey, Vivian. I came to see how you were doing. I missed you after lunch.”

“I’m so sorry for abandoning you, Sofia. I thought I could talk to those girls but…I just couldn’t do it. I started thinking all these thoughts about what could go wrong and I ran away. I always run away.” Vivian sighed and put her head in her hands. “This always happens. I get so worried about what could go wrong before anything happens that I just talk myself into hiding away like a turtle. I’ve been doing this since I was little back in Zumaria.”

“I’m sorry too. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed you to talk to people that fast, let alone my sister and her friends. I love Amber but I understand how intimidating and overbearing she can be sometimes.” Sofia said. “But you’ll have another chance to talk once we present our project tomorrow at show and tell.”

“Oh, that. Um, I was hoping that, maybe, you could…possibly, do all the talking?” Vivian said meekly.

“We both have to do it. It’s part of the project.” Sofia reminded her.

“Is it possible for me to do the show part? I’m good at showing.” Vivian said desperately.

Sofia shook her head and stood up to walk around the bed. “Vivian, you’re going to have to talk to people sooner or later. You won’t make it through Royal Prep otherwise.”

Vivian looked down at her hands as she nervously fiddled with her fingers. Sofia reached out and took her head.

“Look, I’ll start things off and you can follow up. Just imagine that you’re talking to me and not a crowd of people.” Sofia said.

“Sofia, you make it sound so easy. But I know I’m just going to get nervous. I always do.” Vivian looked at their dream castle sadly. “I want to open up. I really do. But it’s just not possible for me.”

“Please, Vivian, I know you can do it.” Sofia held the model castle out to her, but Vivian pushed it back and left the room.

Sofia watched Vivian go with a sad expression and placed the model castle back on the table. This was not going well at all.

XXXXXX

With Vivian gone, Sofia went to look for Pyra. She found the manticore pup down in the kitchen, where she looked to be having fun (Sofia was worried that Pyra was still trying to find ways to stab Crackle) with her new dragon friend.

“You look like you’re having fun.” Sofia smiled.

“Pyra is having much fun, Sofia Princess. Flying lizard can breathe fire and make meat taste better than ever!” Pyra said. She had a chunk of what Sofia could guess was ham on her stinger before holding it up to Crackle, who doused it in fire and cooked it instantly within seconds. Pyra tossed the ham to the floor and began ripping it apart with her teeth.

“It’s good to see you two are getting along.”

“It is. I didn’t know flying lizard’s fire breath was such a useful talent to have.” Pyra said with her mouth full. Living in the castle hadn’t done her eating manners any justice. “Pyra’s urge to stab isn’t as strong anymore.”

“Talent?” Sofia blinked and her eyes widened when she got an idea forming in her head. “That’s it! Vivian’s greatest talent!”

“What?” Pyra asked.

“I’ve got to go, Pyra. Have fun with Crackle!” Sofia said and quickly ran off.

Pyra and Crackle shared a look and shrugged before going back to their little feast. Humans were weird sometimes.

XXXXXX

Sofia found Vivian in the music room, idly playing the piano almost absentmindedly. The girl jumped when Sofia came rushing into the room with a smile on her face.

“Vivian, I’ve found the solution to your problems!” Sofia exclaimed. “Instead of talking about our castle, why don’t we sing about it?”

“S-Sing?” Vivian stammered.

“Vivian, when I first came here, you were shy and barely said a word. You didn’t relax and open up until you started playing your mandolin.” Sofia stepped in front of Vivian and took her hands in hers. “You’re at your best when you’re doing something you love, and what you love is making music. And your mom said that you’re a great singer too.”

Vivian didn’t say anything, but Sofia could see that she was thinking about it. All she needed was a little push.

“Please, Vivian. We’ll do it together.” Sofia said. “A friend might be just the thing you need to open up.”

“Okay…okay, I’ll do it.” Vivian said resolutely. “I mean, I’ll try to do it.”

“That’s all that I’m asking you to do.” Sofia smiled. The two girls smiled at each other, feeling more confident than ever.

XXXXXX

The next day at school, the first year class of Royal Prep were nearing the end of their show and tell presentations for art class. Amber and Hildegard were finishing up their presentation, which was basically three castles put together with a very specific focus on fashion.

“The central castle is for ball gowns of all kinds.” Amber said, waving her fan at the flamboyant looking pink monstrosity that vaguely looked like a miniature version of a puffy ball gown instead of a castle. “Anything from outdoor gowns that can withstand all kinds of weather to ball gowns that sparkle brighter than the starry night sky.”

“And the westward castle is for shoes.” Hildegard said, presenting the dark blue castle that she made herself (or rather had her servants make for her. In truth she only made the rough designs and had someone else polish it out at her commands) looking like a magician’s attractive assistant made to draw the audience’s eyes away from the performer. “You can never have too many shoes!”

The class applauded the two girls for their glamorous presentation, and they left the podium for the next group to step up. Sofia gripped Vivian’s hand, knowing they were going to be called up next.

“Wonderful castle, girls! You’ve truly let your creativity and imagination take over!” professor Flora said. “Up next, we’re going to have our last group of the class, Sofia and Vivian.”

Sofia and Vivian stood up with their finished project, a beautiful pale violet castle with musical notes surrounding the exterior of the castle. Sofia stood to one side and Vivian on the other, nervously holding her mandolin.

“You’re going to do great, Vivian.” Sofia whispered.

“I hope so, Sofia,” Vivian whispered back, eying the group of students nervously. “Because there are a lot of stares coming my way.”

“Just imagine that you’re playing for me back at your manor. Don’t think about anything else.” Sofia told her. “Now, are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Vivian muttered. Mentally counting down, she began playing her mandolin.

Sofia waited for Vivian’s melody to pick up before nodding to the girl. Together the girls spoke as one, and began to sing.

They sang of the mermaids in the moats, of the enchanted hall with singing doves. Of the wind chimes in the windows that give little melodies whenever the wind blows through them. They sang a tune of the musical stairs and the angel statues that sang hymns at dawn and dusk. About the lovely lullabies sung by cherubs to lull you to sleep at night.

Eventually Sofia’s voice slowly faded into the background as she let Vivian take the lead. She smiled as Vivian’s voice grew louder and melodious and her fingers danced along the mandolin as she sang about her dream castle. Sofia saw Amber, Clio and Hildegard all smiling as they watched Vivian open up and show her skill as both a musician and a singer. This was the real Vivian. The girl who was born with so much talent that it would be put to waste had she stayed within her shell.

Soon, Vivian’s song came to an end and she played the last few notes on her mandolin. When she was done, they gave a final bow to the sound of applause from the rest of the class and Professor Flora.

“That was absolutely wonderful, girls. Truly wonderful!” Flora praised. She was always a stickler for child prodigies after all, and seeing Vivian play and sing was magical.

“Bravo!” Hildegard cheered and walked over to Vivian with Amber and Clio.

“I had no idea you were such a great musician.” Clio said. “You should join the school band.”

“No, join the choir. I’m sure those people could use a singer with your lovely voice.” Hildegard said, looking at their castle appraisingly. “Even if you only had one castle, I must say it sounds like a dream to live in.”

“She’s right, your castle is amazing, even more so with you singing about it.” Amber said smiling. “I don’t know why you’ve been hiding in the back of the class but we simply must get to know each other, Vivian.”

“Let’s schedule a playdate!” Clio suggested. “Maybe you can tell where you learned to sing like that.”

“That sounds great.” Vivian smiled, feeling happier than she ever felt before.

Sofia stepped up to her looking just as happy as Vivian was. “You okay?”

“Yes, I’m more than okay.” Vivian laughed. She reached out and grasped Sofia’s hand. “Thank you, Sofia. I can’t even begin to show how grateful I am.”

“You being yourself is more than enough, Vivian.” Sofia said. “Just keep singing your songs and doing music for yourself and everyone.”

Vivian smiled and let Sofia lead her to the rest of the class, who were now very eager to meet the quiet girl who suddenly blossomed into a wonderful musician and singer. Sofia hung back and let Vivian enjoy herself, satisfied that she made another friend and allowed the world to see her the same way she saw Vivian.


	9. The Only One

Chapter 9-The Only One

Rosemary was having its annual town fair, a time when the people set up shops selling all kinds of foods, trinkets, and games. Amber, James and Dante brought Sofia to the fair one bright and sunny day when they didn’t have anything to do. The children walked through the stands trying to look at everything they could see in a single day, even though the fair was in town for a week.

“After going to the fair for so long, I’m still not impressed by these so-called magicians.” Dante said, glaring up at a man on stilts who was breathing fire.

“Dante, they’re just performers. It’s not real magic.” Sofia giggled.

“Hence why Cedric hates these events with a passion. Besides I can do better tricks than these guys.” Dante snapped his fingers and performed a hand sign before two roses grew out of his palm. “See?”

Sofia giggled as he handed the two roses to her and Amber. “Thank you.”

Amber rolled her eyes but took the rose anyway. “Dante, do you always carry roses with you?”

“Pfft, no! That would be silly.” Dante scoffed, not looking her in the eye. Sofia shook her head at him.

“This is so much fun. I never thought that the fair had this much stuff to see.” Sofia said.

“You’ve never been to the fair, Sofia?” Amber inquired.

“My mom and I were always too busy running our shop to go.” Sofia smiled at a juggling jester who had a knife in his teeth. “I’ve heard stories sure but this is the first time I’ve actually gone to the fair in general.”

“Hey, guys! Check this out!” James called out to them. Dante huffed and strutted past Amber, sticking the rose into her hair haphazardly before walking over to James.

The prince was standing in a crowd assembled before a large stage at the center of the fair. A man in a striped suit and fancy top hat stood on the stage giving an announcement to the people.

“People of Rosemary, do you have the greatest pet in Enchancia?” He asked the crowd. “Because I am happy to announce that tomorrow we will be having our very first pet competition right here on this very stage!”

“A pet competition?” James’s eyes lit up. “Sweet!”

“What’s the prize?” Amber asked.

“The prize for the pet who performs the most impressive tricks will win the blue ribbon.” The man said. “Pet and owner will get to ride in the village fair parade!”

The curtains drew back to reveal a brilliantly decorated coach covered in colorful ribbons, much to the excitement of the crowd.

“That sounds exciting!” Sofia exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to ride in that parade.”

“Well you’re going to have to wait another year, Sofia, but I’m entering my pet baboon in that parade, and he’s the best pet in the kingdom.” James grinned.

“Second best pet.” Amber cut in. “My peacock is the most beautiful pet in the kingdom, no questions asked.”

“Against my better judgement and at the risk of suffering through Cedric’s whining, I think I’ll enter just for kicks.” Dante shrugged. “I’m sure Mona’s up for the challenge.”

“Oh wow. I wish I had a pet to enter in the contest.” Sofia hummed. “Do you think—“

“You are not having that savage beast in the contest, Sofia.” Amber said sternly, arms crossed. “Pyra will have probably killed three people before she even gets on the stage.”

“It would be cool to have a manticore in the contest.” James admitted.

“James, Pyra thinks that she can make new friends by stabbing them. She is most definitely not pet material.” Amber sent her brother a glare as if daring him to refute her viewpoint.

“What about that eagle that always hangs out in your room?” Dante suggested. “The one that Mona keeps hissing at?”

“Rhea?” Sofia said. “Well, Rhea isn’t my pet. She’s my friend.”

“Friend plus fur and feathers equals pet, Sofia.” Amber said smiling. “But why bother with that old bird when you can get a perfectly well-bred and well-groomed pet from the castle zoo?”

Sofia frowned at that. Did Amber forget that Rhea used to be her pet?

“Well, we better go get ready for the contest. Keep an eye on Dante, Sofia, before he gets into trouble.” Amber joked as she walked away with James.

“I’m not that bad, Amber.” Dante drawled. “I get it from you and James!”

Sofia laughed at him and looked back to the stage, to where the decorated coach sat. She sighed happily as she imagined herself riding through town in the coach she marveled at as a child. Her only dilemma was that she didn’t really have a “pet” to enter into the competition.

‘But no one ever said that it had to specifically be a pet.’ Sofia thought with a smile. Looks like she was going to be hard at work today.

XXXXXX

Rhea sat on the window seat in Sofia’s room looking out the window. It was a nice sunny day and there was not a cloud in the sky, but she didn’t feel like flying today. She just spent the last hour just watching the people mill about outside while Mona and Pyra did whatever they did behind her.

There were times when Rhea liked to spend some time just sitting still and enjoying the peaceful silence. Things had gotten livelier in the castle since Sofia moved in, and though she liked her fair share of excitement as much as the next eagle, she learned to enjoy the quiet moments too.

“Rhea!” Pyra moaned from her spot on the floor. The little manticore cub was sprawled out across the floor like a cat, her scorpion stinger lazily waving behind her as if to showcase her boredom. “Rhea!”

“Yes, Pyra?” Rhea sighed. Honestly, between her and Mona it was like dealing with children.

“Play with Pyra!” Pyra demanded.

“Pyra, I know exactly what you see as entertainment, and I am not being your pincushion to satisfy your bloodlust.” Rhea said calmly. “I know what you tried to do with Mona.”

“Furry feline was too weak. You are not. Face me!”

“No.”

Fortunately for Rhea’s patience, Sofia entered the room with that wonderful smile that Rhea had come to love. “Hey, guys.”

“Hello, Sofia.” Rhea greeted her. “You look excited. Did something happen at the fair?”

“They’re having a pet competition in a few days and almost everyone’s entering their pets into the contest, even Dante.” Sofia said.

“That’s nice, though I doubt Pyra is a suitable beast for such a competition.” Rhea remarked.

“Pyra is the greatest there is!” Pyra shouted.

“Calm down, Pyra. You are a wonderful manticore, but Rhea does have a point. You’re too violent for the pet competition and I’d rather you didn’t attack the other pets.” Sofia said softly. Pyra pouted but relented just this once for Sofia. “Actually, Rhea, I was considering inviting you to join the—“

“No.” Rhea firmly said.

“But you didn’t even hear what I had to say!” Sofia whined.

“I don’t need to. I will not take part in that circus act of a show.” Rhea gave Sofia a hard glare. “And why would you even be interested in such a thing?”

“The winner of the competition gets to ride in the fair parade and the winning pet gets a blue ribbon. I’ve always dreamed of being in that parade as a little girl and now’s my chance to be in it.” Sofia saw that Rhea wasn’t budging on her decision and decided to change tactics. “And Amber’s entering the competition too.”

That caught Rhea’s attention. She glanced back at Sofia, who smiled sheepishly at her.

“Amber’s entering with her peacock.” Sofia said softly. “I just thought that maybe you could use this chance to show her how good you are. If that’s alright with you.”

Rhea was silent for several minutes and Sofia was worried that she may have went too far. Just as she was about to apologize, Rhea spoke up.

“I think I will join you, Sofia. Just out of curiosity of course.” Rhea said, trying to look confident though her eyes told a different story. “As an eagle, I have a duty to uphold the majesty of my species.”

“Too many big words.” Pyra said. “Just stab them and assert your dominance!”

“Thank you for your advice, Pyra.” Sofia giggled. “Let’s go, Rhea. We can work out a routine down in the castle zoo. Amber and James are there with their pets too.”

Rhea’s heart lurched at the mention of Amber, but she put up a strong front and nodded. “Lead the way, Sofia.”

Sofia and Rhea left the room, with the princess promising Pyra a big chunk of cooked ham later on if she behaved herself. There was only one way to a manticore’s heart and that was through meat.

XXXXXX

Sofia went down to the gardens where Amber and James were already practicing their routines with their respective pets. Amber was busy doing a dance routine with her pet peacock and James was trying to teach his pet baboon, Freedo (a gift from Zandar two years ago) some tricks that were better suited for a dog than a jungle animal.

“And strut, strut, strut, do a half turn, and pose!” Amber and her peacock, Praline, spun and did a pose at the same time. She smiled and nodded at Praline. “Very good, Praline. Take five.”

“Hello, Amber, Praline.” Sofia greeted the pair as she walked past them.

Amber looked at her sister with a raised brow, ignoring James and Freedo’s little circus act behind her. “Sofia, where’s your pet?”

“Well, she’s not a pet, exactly. Just a friend.” Sofia corrected her. At Amber’s unimpressed look, she cleared her throat and called out to Rhea. “Rhea, come here!”

Rhea swooped down from the tree branch she was sitting on and smoothly landed on the grooming table in front of the two girls. Amber and Rhea stared at each other for a moment, and for just a second Sofia thought that Amber might remember her former pet eagle, but that thought went out the window as soon as Amber opened her mouth.

“Sofia, if you want a chance at winning the contest, you have to do better than this dirty old bird.”

“Sofia, of all the pets you could’ve had, you brought this dirty old bird?” Amber sniffed distastefully.

“She’s an eagle, and she’s not dirty!” Sofia frowned.

“You need a pet with an actual talent in order to wow the crowd.” Amber motioned Praline to come over to them. “Praline, show her…the Shimmer.”

Praline’s tail feathers unfolded to reveal the dazzling blue and green display that peacocks were famous for. Sofia couldn’t help but gasp at how Praline’s feathers sparkled in the sunlight, the result of good breeding and lots of grooming. She looked spectacular, and Praline knew it too.

“Now what can that old eagle do again?” Amber asked.

“Well, Rhea can…hunt. She’s a magnificent hunter.” Sofia said. It was true, Rhea was a skilled hunter, though she doubted that people wanted to see an eagle mercilessly swooping down on a cute little mouse.

Amber shook her head and linked her arm with Sofia’s. “Sofia, let me take you to the castle zoo and help you pick out a pet of your own. I know a beautiful bunny named Ginger who’ll at least give you a fighting chance in the contest.”

“Amber, I appreciate the help, but I already have Rhea.” Sofia insisted.

Amber’s expression darkened for a moment but returned to her usual aloofness with such speed that Sofia almost missed it. She looked up and smiled when she saw a couple of flying coaches soar overhead.

“That must be Hildegard and the others.”

“Others?”

“You didn’t think that we were the only ones aiming for victory, did you?” Amber smirked.

The girls went over to the courtyard, where their friends were already gathering. Sofia spotted Hildegard with her pet weasel and Vivian with Crackle, her pet baby dragon. She ran over to them and gave Vivian a hug.

“Hi, Vivian.” She smiled. “Hello, Crackle. It’s good to see you two!”

“Hello, Sofia.” Vivian smiled. Though she was still quiet, she was a bit more comfortable around people. And lately, Sofia had noticed that Clio was spending some time with her in music class talking to each other. Sofia didn’t know what they talked about during those moments however. “We came here as soon as we heard about the pet contest. I think Crackle’s just using it as an excuse to visit Pyra.”

As if to prove Vivian’s claim, Crackle spoke up. “Hi, Sofia! Where’s Pyra? Is she hiding somewhere?” She asked excitedly.

“Sorry, Crackle, Pyra’s busy right now,” Sofia replied, rubbing Crackle’s head. “But I’m sure she’ll love to hear that you came.”

Sofia jumped when she heard the loud trumpeting bellow of an elephant and looked over at the front gates to see Zandar arriving on a large adolescent elephant. Sofia couldn’t help but gape at the large animal.

“Zandar is bringing an elephant to the contest?” Sofia groaned.

“Yup, that’s his pet. The royalty in Tangu all have elephants over there.” James said. Sofia guessed that he already met Zandar’s not so little friend.

Rhea stood off to the side watching the other pets practice their performances. Zandar’s elephant was balancing on top of a large ball with expert skill. Hildegard’s weasel was doing a tight rope act that ended off with a flurry of fancy flips. And Crackle was…on a unicycle?

“You taught Crackle how to ride a unicycle?” Sofia said in awe.

“I didn’t,” Vivian said giggling at Sofia’s expression. “Crackle taught herself! It was amazing when she first showed me what she could do. Honestly, I think she just learned so she could impress Pyra. Those two have bonded really well since meeting each other.”

Rhea sighed and shook her head. “This is going to be more hard work than I anticipated.”

“Isn’t that the truth, sister.” A haughty voice chuckled. Rhea looked down to see Praline standing by her stool.

“Do you need something, Praline?” Rhea asked in the calmest tone she could manage. While she had no personal grudge against the peacock, Praline liked to lord her status as Amber’s new pet over her whenever she had the chance. This was the first time the two had even talked to each other in person for a long time before Sofia arrived.

“I’m just wondering why someone like you would want to enter the contest. You aren’t exactly the most active bird out here.” Praline said, preening her feathers.

“I hardly see why this concerns you, Praline. My reasons are my own.” Rhea said.

“I suppose, but don’t think you’re going to get that far into the contest, old lady. The only thing you’re doing right now is making Amber upset.” Rhea sent a hard glare her way and Praline sighed and turned around, ruffling her feathers in Rhea’s direction. “See you at the contest, Rhea. Try to lose with some dignity, will you?”

It took Rhea every ounce of dignity and pride to not call Praline something obscene in front of Sofia, but she managed it. She flew back over to the little corner of the garden where Sofia was waiting for her, and landed on the stool.

“That was something.” She remarked.

“Yes, it is.” Sofia agreed and looked over at the other pets. “I had no idea that everyone else had their own pets that were so…skilled.”

“Having second thoughts?” Rhea asked.

“No, no, nothing like that! I just realized that this may be harder than I thought with such tough competition.” Sofia said. “Um, is everything alright between you and Praline? You two looked a little tense back there.”

“Everything’s fine, Sofia. Nothing to worry about.” Rhea said unconvincingly. “We were just…catching up.”

Sofia knew it wasn’t like that at all, but she decided to let the topic go. “So how about we get started on our routine? We don’t have a lot of time before the contest.”

“Yes, let’s get started.” Rhea nodded. After a moment of silence, she had to ask, “Sofia, what is our routine?”

“I…don’t know.” Sofia muttered.

This was going to be a long day.

XXXXXX

Practice was…not as effective as Sofia thought it would be. While she and Rhea were good friends, they lacked the longtime dynamic that Amber, James and the other kids had with their pets. Rhea was no show-bird trained to do tricks since she was a chick, if you count mercilessly hunting cute little animals as special talent.

Rhea wasn’t particularly good at catching things in midair, not with her beak nor with her claws. She was a good flyer, but she’ll have to do more than fly. Not to mention that Rhea wasn’t all that sparkly or fantastical to look at like Praline.

“Okay, I think I may be in over my head this time, Rhea.” Sofia sighed, slumping onto a bench in the shade of a tree.

“Don’t you want to join the other children for lunch, Sofia.” Rhea asked.

“No, I don’t feel like it. Especially if it makes you feel uncomfortable.” Sofia said. Rhea tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“I know being around Amber makes you, I don’t know, a little nervous. I don’t want to presume anything, but it’s like you’re keeping your distance from her.” Sofia said cautiously. “Forgive me for asking this, but…does Amber hate you?”

“It’s not that, Sofia. Amber and I…our relationship is complicated. Amber doesn’t hate me, per say, but what I represent for her.” Rhea answered. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, I think I have the time for a friend.” Sofia smiled.

Rhea smiled at her and began her tale. “I met Amber when I was just a chick. My parents were eagles born in captivity, and the only world I ever knew. The princess was only five around that time, and the king gave me to her as a birthday present. A regal bird for a regal princess, he told her. She was enchanted by me as I was enchanted by her smile. It was the best day of my life.”

A wistful smile spread across Rhea’s beak as the memories came back. Memories of a tiny little princess with a smile as bright as the sun spending day and night with her as she grew to adulthood. “Back then, we were inseparable. Amber took care of me, spoiling me with little gifts and shiny ornaments that are probably the reason why I still get distracted by shiny things today. In return I made sure to spend time with the princess as well, watching her play, take her lessons, fight with James and so on. I still had to learn how to be a decent eagle from my parents, but being an only chick made it easy to skimp on a few lessons here and there.”

“What was Amber like back then?” Sofia asked.

“Probably the same as you were at that age, Sofia. Just a girl who had a bright and happy view of the world. I didn’t get my name until she learned how to read and write, and that was when she named me Rhea, after an Enchancian queen she heard about. Those were the good days, when she was young and happy, and knew how to have fun.” Rhea’s face fell as those same memories dimmed. “But that wasn’t to last unfortunately.”

“She…grew up?” Sofia said hesitantly. Rhea nodded.

“As Amber grew, she began taking princess lessons, and as you already know, being a princess doesn’t usually leave room for so-called “childish pursuits” as some other ladies would call it. I knew this of course, and Amber needed her space anyway. It was expected of her as a royal princess after all. But something began to change in her over time. I didn’t know what it was at first, but whatever it was, it made her look at me with less and less love.” Rhea’s voice grew softer as she continued and Sofia waited for her to gather herself before continuing.

“It wasn’t until much later, when I was old enough to fly and hunt on my own, that I realized that Amber had been becoming jealous of the other ladies and princesses she made friends with. It wasn’t fashion, or riches, or jewelry—it was because they had a mother and she didn’t.”

‘Oh.’ Sofia visibly winced at that, and Rhea sent her a dry smile devoid of joy.

“Yes, that was my reaction too. King Roland’s first wife, Queen Lorelei, had passed not long after giving birth to the royal twins. For a girl, her mother is her first role model, someone she aspires to be or surpass as they grow older. Princess Amber had no such role model. She had only paintings of her mother to go on; no face to remember, no voice to sing her to sleep, nothing. It didn’t bother her at first, but I suppose it slowly began to wear away at her patience. Eventually it got to the point where she chased me away, unable to be around me anymore to ruin her royal atmosphere, and tied herself to that peacock.” Even Rhea couldn’t hide her disdain towards Praline.

“But why did she take it out on you?” Sofia asked. “You’ve done nothing to her.”

“No, I was named after an Enchancian queen, and as such I’m a constant reminder of the queen mother she’ll never know.” At Sofia’s expression, she shrugged. “The mind of a child never makes sense, Sofia. They’ll create excuses to justify their feelings, even painful ones like loss and grief. It may seem excessive to you, but to Amber, it makes sense to blame me for the source of all her problems.”

“That’s not fair.” Sofia muttered.

“It isn’t, but life is rarely fair, Sofia. But I hold no ill feelings towards Amber. I know her scorn stems from her pain, and while she expertly does not show it, not having a mother saddens her deeply.” Rhea said, but she gave Sofia a smile. “However having you and Queen Miranda has lessened that pain somewhat. I believe that with your help she can change, but only if she allows herself to change. I have faith that she can be better thanks to you, no matter how she treats me.”

Sofia was awestruck by how utterly devoted Rhea was to Amber. She saw how deeply the eagle loved the princess, and it made her eyes tear up. “You really love Amber, don’t you?”

“More than life itself. She is a sweet girl who is as strong and steadfast as her father and as beautiful and elegant as her mother, but she hides her true self behind a mask. Being with you has changed that, but in order to truly change, she must want to change herself.” Rhea sighed. “But honestly, all don’t care if Amber never sees me anymore. All that matters is that she knows how much I love her, how much she means to me. If I can manage that, then I can live my life in peace.”

“Oh, Rhea…” Sofia sniffled and reached up to brush her fingers along Rhea’s back, leaning in to hug the eagle. Rhea rested her head against Sofia’s and allowed the girl to hold her close. Sofia didn’t know how, or if it was even possible, but she vowed to help Rhea’s situation however she can.

XXXXXX

That afternoon, Sofia walked through the castle gardens alone, staring at the colorful flowers while deep in thought about Rhea’s story. She never knew that Amber’s problems were that deep seated, and it made her sympathetic to Rhea more than ever. She wanted to help the eagle at least a little in some way, but she had no idea how.

“I wish I could help Amber and Rhea, but I don’t know what to do. This kind of problem would be perfect to ask mom about, but I think involving more people might make the problem worse.” Sofia said to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout from above. “Incoming!”

Sofia instinctively ducked as something shot over her head, followed by a cloud of red smoke trailing after it. She looked up and saw a black bird of some kind leaving brightly colored smoke trails in its wake. Upon taking a closer look, Sofia realized that the bird looked an awful lot like a certain cat she knew.

“Mona?” Sofia gasped.

“Sofia!” Dante ran up to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Sofia said, glancing up at the cat turned bird circling above them. “Dante, was that Mona?”

“Yup. Turned her into a bird for our act in the pet contest.” Dante said, before wilting like a dry flower. “Or it would have been our performance if Mona wasn’t acting like such a smarmy kitty. I mention the contest once and she waits until she gets wings before getting the hell out of dodge. The audacity.”

Sofia hid her giggle behind her hand. Mona was a cat that liked her peace and quiet, and being in front of a noisy crowd was anything but. No wonder Mona was zooming around like a bat at noon.

“What’s all the smoke for?” She asked.

“It’s enchanted powder that remains in the air for several minutes until you’re done using it.” Dante explained. “I designed it so that Mona could fly around and make pictures or words in the air by just flying around. Sort of like cloud reading, but cooler and less fake.”

“Enchanted powder.” Sofia followed the still lingering trail of smoke that hovered over her head and followed the haphazard spiral turns that Mona had made above the garden. Sofia put a hand on her chin and hummed as a little thought took root in her mind. “Could you potentially make messages with this powder too?”

“Sure, that’s what it’s made for.” Dante nodded, and looked around. “Hey, where’s your eagle? I thought you two were practicing?”

“We were, but then we hit a wall. However I think I’ve found a way to make my act really stand out.” Sofia smiled. “Dante, can I use your enchanted powder for my performance?”

“Sure, not like I’m going to be using it any time soon.” He said. “Judging by that grin of yours, you’ve got something particularly interesting in mind.”

“You could say that.” Sofia said sweetly and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for the help, Dante!”

“Anything for you, Sofia.” Dante smiled at her as she ran off, not really knowing what she was thanking him for.

XXXXXX

Rhea sat in the shade of a tree watching Amber and Praline continue practicing their routine. It was the same set of movements, followed by a pose, and then a little flare to wow the audience. Basically what Amber does on a daily basis, just with a peacock as the main attraction.

Amber was trying on her special dress for the contest (for Amber must always stand out, even for something as moderately mundane as a pet contest). Rhea always admired Amber’s taste in clothing. That girl really did know how to dress for the occasion.

“Rhea!”

Rhea blinked and looked back to see Sofia running out of the garden with a big smile on her face. “Sofia? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Rhea. Everything’s going to be great!” Sofia said brightly. If Rhea had eyebrows, one of them would be raised at her.

“Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you happy, Sofia, I must ask what has you so excited?”

“Well, I think I’ve found an act that you can do in the pet contest.” Sofia said smiling. She reached behind her and held out a brightly colored pouch. “And it might be just the thing to help you smooth things over with Amber!”

For the first time that day, Rhea felt something akin to hope swell up within her breast.

XXXXXX

By the time Sofia and Rhea reached the town fair in Rosemary, the pet contest was already underway. Hildegard and James had already done their performances, as had Zandar, though they had to repair the stage after his elephant crushed it doing his balancing act.

Vivian had Crackle do her unicycle act, doing amazing tricks on the unicycle while doing her special tricks with her fire breath. Sofia had no idea that Crackle could just shapes with her flames, but according to Vivian, a lot of what Crackle could do she learned herself. Apparently she was a very resourceful baby dragon.

Crackle’s act ended in a fiery finish that dazzled the crowd and earned a lot of applause. Then Amber came on stage with Praline, wearing a beautiful blue and green dress done in the same shade as Praline’s feathers, with a diamond studded headdress that glistened in the sunlight. Rhea thought she looked radiant.

The two strutted across the stage like two models showing off a new kind of fashion (which might be the case among the noble ladies of the court. Amber was always a trend setter). Amber did a spin that made her dress flare out before doing a pose. Praline followed her lead and displayed her feathers in a flamboyant manner.

“Praline, do…the Shimmer!” Amber flicked her fan out.

Praline opened her feathers and tilted them toward the sun at just the right angle so that they sparkled in the sunlight. Amber smiled as she heard the crowd ooh and aah at Praline’s beauty and gave a haughty wave to the crowd, assured of her victory. She and Praline bowed and made their exit, passing by Sofia and Rhea at the side of the stage.

“Sofia! You’re finally here.” Amber said. “I hope you didn’t miss my performance.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Amber.” Sofia said honestly. “You were really dazzling out there.”

“As always.” Amber smirked, which fell upon seeing Rhea on Sofia’s arm. “Oh, you’ve brought your eagle.”

“Her name’s Rhea, Amber. I know you haven’t forgotten her.” Sofia said. Amber looked at her disapprovingly.

“Sofia, I know you could’ve gotten a pet that’s more talented than…this.” She said.

“Rhea’s talented, Amber, just not in the way you think.” Sofia countered, holding Rhea close as if to defend her from Amber’s scorn. “And you’ll see in just a moment.”

“I suppose I will.” Amber huffed, turning her nose up at them. “Come on, Praline. Let’s not keep my sister and her feathered friend anymore.”

“Good luck, old lady.” Praline whispered to Rhea before laughing as she followed Amber off the stage.

“Don’t listen to her, Rhea. You’ll do fine.” Sofia said to her. “Are you ready?”

Rhea raised her wings, which were coated in sparkly powder. “Ready.”

“And for our final contestant, we have the second princess of Enchancia, Princess Sofia!” The announcer declared. Sofia took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage, earning an applause from the crowd.

Sofia looked to the front and saw the other children there, including Amber, James, and even Dante, who smiled encouragingly at her. She smiled back and nodded to Rhea. “Let’s go, Rhea.”

Rhea took to the air and was off like a kite, letting the wind carry her aloft and moving fast as she could. Her wings opened up and the magic powder Sofia sprinkled onto them just a few minutes ago made her wings shine in the sunlight, earning surprised and pleasant gasps from onlookers. But that wasn’t all, the sparkles discharged from Rhea’s wings, trailing after her in a dazzling display and raining sparkles down on the audience.

Rhea performed difficult upward and downward movements, as well as flying from side to side, letting the magic powder she trailed form a large globe above the crowd. When she was done, Rhea flapped her wings and the globe exploded in a bright, twinkling rain of sparkles that earned even louder applause. Starting to have some fun, Rhea flew back over to Sofia, making sure to sprinkle the last of the powder onto Sofia’s dress, making it sparkle as well.

“Rhea!” Sofia giggled. Rhea smiled and settled back onto Sofia’s gloved arm.

“Hey, Dante, isn’t that your magic powder you were working with earlier?” James asked.

“Yup.”

“Magic powder?” Amber said confused. “How did Sofia get that?”

“She asked for it. Figured she was going to use it for the pet contest.” Dante clapped as Rhea created two intertwined rings in the air with the sparkly powder before flying right into her design, making it burst outward again. “She’s doing better with it than I could ever use it for.”

“Please tell me you weren’t planning to douse Mona in that stuff.” Amber said disapprovingly.

“Don’t worry, Rhea flew into the trees and disappeared before I could try it on her.” Dante said as if it was perfectly normal. James looked at him.

“Flew?” He echoed. Amber just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

After Rhea finished her last aerial design, she returned to Sofia, who bowed and waited for the audience to quiet down before speaking to them.

“I have one last show I want to give to all of you that I think will be really special. But first, I think you should know about this wonderful bird I have with me.” Sofia said. “Her name is Rhea, and she grew up alongside my sister, Amber, for years before circumstances drove her apart. I’m dedicated this next show to Amber, whom Rhea still loves with all of her heart even though she has a new pet.”

Sofia turned to Amber, who watched her with wide eyes. “Amber, please know that Rhea has always been with you even before I came to the castle. She loves you very much and this is her way of showing it.”

Sofia sprinkled another set of magic powder on Rhea’s wings and nodded to her. Rhea looked to the sky and took off, flying high above the stage, and even the town. She didn’t stop ascending until she was high above the town, and was at just the right height for her final trick. Rhea leveled her body, closed her eyes, and began writing her message.

The powder that discharged from her wings looked like smoke, but it was a beautiful shade of indigo and violet that, mixed with the sparkles from earlier, almost looked like the night sky and stood out against the clear blue sky. Rhea flew through the air, performing sharp turns and roundabouts as she formed large words in the sky. Sofia told her to think of what she wanted to say to Amber the most if she could speak to her. Tell Amber how she truly felt about her, and let those feelings come forth. And Rhea did just that.

Down below, everyone was silent as they watched Rhea etch her message not the sky. As the message grew, the people gasped and muttered, awestruck at this thing of beauty the eagle was making before them. But the most speechless of all was Amber, who never took her eyes away from the eagle as she wrote her message, seamlessly weaving through the air as if the wind was hers to command.

‘Just like a queen.’ Amber thought. She remembered when she was just a little girl, and had given Rhea her name based on a story she heard about Enchancia’s most famous queen. Back in a time where she was happier and free of royal duties and expectations. The memories made Amber’s eyes water but she held them back.

But when Rhea completed her message, Amber held her hands to her mouth as she gasped, unable to truly keep her feelings at bay. Rhea flew down to Sofia and looked up at the colorful message she left just for Amber. A message that Rhea had been wanting to tell her for so long.

** I LOVE AMBER. **

All was quiet in the crowd, before suddenly everyone erupted in loud cheers and applause. Sofia smiled and waved at the crowd while holding Rhea higher for everyone to see. But Rhea’s eyes were focused solely on Amber, who stared back at her with glistening eyes.

“I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we’ve found our winner!” The announcer exclaimed, earning even louder noise from the crowd. He grinned and motioned to the young girl and her elegant eagle. “Everyone a round of applause for Princess Sofia and her eagle, Rhea!”

Sofia and Rhea smiled at each other as the crowd cheered for them and praised the fantastical abilities of Rhea. Today was a good day for everyone, in more ways than one.

XXXXXX

The rest of the day went by in a flash for Rhea. After being declared the winner, she and Sofia were escorted to the brilliantly decorated coach reserved for the winner of the contest. Soon they were being pulled down the main street of Rosemary, people cheering and waving at them along the procession. Seeing all the smiles and hearing the praise made Rhea feel better about herself in a way she hadn’t felt since she was a wee chick.

“You did wonderful back there, Rhea.” Sofia complimented her. The girl’s cheeks were rosier than ever from smiling so much.

“Thank you, Sofia, but I was only doing what you advised me to do.” Rhea said, humble as ever. “I listened to my heart and let it guide me.”

“Do you think your message got through to Amber?” She asked curiously.

“I don’t know. But even if she never wants me by her, at least she knows how I feel about her.” Rhea said smoothly, feeling more at ease than she ever had before. “And I still have you.”

“Oh, Rhea.” Sofia smiled and nuzzled Rhea’s head.

Rhea settled beside Sofia in the coach, but her eyes shot open when she heard a familiar sound. A whistle. It was an old call she often heard back when she was still under her parents’ care, when she was molting and growing her new feathers in; when she was learning to fly. Rhea hopped onto the side of the carriage and saw the beautiful dress of Princess Amber down by the edge of the street, whistling that sweet little tune she made just for her as a little girl.

“Sofia…” Rhea looked to Sofia, who nodded to her.

“Go to her.” Sofia whispered.

Rhea smiled and jumped out of the carriage, flying over the heads of the people and diving low to Amber’s level. The blond princess jumped a bit when she got close, but relaxed when Rhea landed on her arm.

“You still remember that old tune.” Amber whispered. She gave a weak little smile and ran a finger down Rhea’s back, earning a chirp from her. “I thought you would have forgotten about me.”

Rhea nuzzled Amber’s hand and smiled. “I would never forget you, Amber. Not even in my dying days.”

The road to recovering the bond they once had would be long, but Rhea had faith that things would be alright. Especially with Sofia helping them every step of the way.


	10. The Little Witch

Chapter 10-The Little Witch

It was early morning at the royal palace of Enchancia and for most people (aside from early bird Baileywick) the day was just beginning. But for one little princess, her morning had just begun with a black cat sitting on her chest yelling at her to wake up. Normally having a talking cat yelling in your face early in the morning would make anyone grumpy, but not Sofia. This morning was special for her, because she was going to begin her magic lessons!

Ever since her talk with Dante back in Jera’s forest domain, Sofia had been slowly thinking about learning magic. Not just academically like in Royal Prep, but for real, like the spells and everything. She had pleaded with Dante to at least teach her a few basic spells, but he was hesitant. It wasn’t that he thought that as a princess she shouldn’t learn magic, at that point everyone began to realize that Sofia wasn’t one to conform to social norms, but because magic was a big responsibility. A lot of things can go wrong if you aren’t paying attention, and this was especially true for beginners. Besides, he didn’t want to do this behind Cedric’s back.

Sofia respected his decision to think about it, until one evening, about a day after the surprisingly emotional pet contest, that Dante agreed to teach her basic magic. She didn’t know what changed his mind, and he coyly kept her in the dark about that. Whatever his reasons, she was learning magic, and that was exciting on its own.

Unfortunately, because of their busy schedules, they had to do their practice sessions early in the morning before they went their separate ways. And so far, most of their time was spent meditating in the castle garden.

“What do you feel, Sofia?” Dante asked softly. Sofia sat across from him, eyes closed, hands clasped in his as she focused her senses inward.

“I feel…something warm.” Sofia answered. “A warm feeling in my stomach.”

“Yes, that’s it. That’s your core, your body’s source of mana.” He said. “Focus on it as hard as you can until you start feeling that warmth grow.”

“Okay.” Sofia took a deep breath and focused her mind on that little ball of warmth in her body. To her surprise, that warmth grew within her chest, making her feel warm and fuzzy.

“You still feel it, right? Now visualize that energy flowing through your body, down your arm, and out of your hand.” He instructed. “Take it slow and don’t rush it. We don’t want any surprises.”

Sofia nodded and followed his instructions. She took deep, slow breaths and felt that warmth in her body slowly spread to her arms, making her skin tingle. The small, electrical tingle that ran down her arms reached her hands, making her fingers tingle as well. She opened her eyes and jumped when pink sparkles burst from her fingertips like fireworks right into Dante’s face.

“Dante!” She exclaimed.

“I’m fine!” He sputtered, blinking the stars out of his eyes. “I’m fine. Just caught off guard. That’s what I get for sitting right in front of you while doing this exercise.”

Sofia looked at her hands. “What was that?”

“That was your power, Sofia. You’ve just manifested your energy for the first time, so it’s bound to be a bit explosive. Nothing harmful though.” Dante smiled. He took Sofia’s hands in his and moved closer to her. "The flashy sparkles are normal. That’s just a sign that your power is new and unused. The more you train, the more control you’ll gain.”

“Wow, this is more intricate than I realized.” Sofia breathed.

“Magic is a complicated practice, Sofia, and mana control is only less so. It’s why so many magicians and sorcerers spend their time studying and experimenting. Thankfully, you’re just learning basic mana control, which isn’t that hard if you keep at it.” He closed his eyes and breathed in. “Now let’s try that again. Repeat the directions I gave you. I’ll give you a helping hand this time.”

Sofia nodded and performed the same process once more. She felt that same electric tingle run down her arms to her hands, but this time, instead of exploding outward into sparks, her energy remained in her hands. Sofia looked down in awe as her hands gained a light pink aura around them. Her hands felt warm, like she was wearing gloves.

“Wow.” She breathed. She glanced up and saw Dante smiling at her, then she noticed that his hands were glowing dark red.

“A little trick Master Winnifred taught me. I used my mana to help you bring yours out.” He said. “See that glow around your hands? That’s your aura, a sort of energy field generated by your mana. It’s not normally visible like this, but since we’re both using our energy at the same time, it’s more condensed.”

“This is my power.” Sofia said softly, marveling at the soft pink glow about her hands. “It feels so warm.”

“It’s a good way to keep warm in winter, though you’ll still need a coat.” Dante joked.

“Is this all I have to do to bring my mana out?” She asked.

“No, there’s a lot more that you can do, but for now, I want you to focus on these exercises to help acclimate your body to manipulating its energy. Take it slow or you’ll end up exhausting yourself, or worse.” Dante said. “Next time we’ll try to help you focus on maintaining that energy and shaping it.”

Sofia was about to say something but she and Dante heard a low rumble. He raised an eyebrow in her direction and she blushed.

“That…that was my stomach.” Sofia muttered. “I’m getting hungry.”

“I can see that. I’d like to say I’ve never heard a girl’s stomach growl like that, but you should hear Amber’s stomach when we have blueberry pancakes for breakfast.” Dante grinned at the giggling Sofia. “Sounds like a lioness on the prowl.”

“Dante, it’s too early for that right now.” Sofia laughed and stood up. “I better go eat. I’ve got a busy day today and I’m going to need all my energy for it.”

“Oh? What’s the occasion?”

“Today’s Jade’s birthday!” Sofia exclaimed, throwing her arms up happily. “She’s turning thirteen today, and she’s throwing a party for all her friends.”

“Sweet. Tell her I said congrats!”

“She’s also inviting you to the party.” Sofia added with a smirk. “You really impressed her at our sleepover, and she wanted to invite you to meet her friends.”

“Really?” Dante blinked. This was honestly the first time he’s ever been invited to someone’s birthday party. Amber and James’s parties were more of a formality due to him being the Royal Sorcerer’s apprentice. “Oh, that’s…that’s nice. First time someone’s actually invited me to a party that I wasn’t obligated to attend.”

“Well there’s a first time for everything!” Sofia smiled. “Will you be able to make it?”

“I don’t know. I have to help Cedric with some things, do some damage control, and practice a few forms, but if I’m lucky, I should be there at the party by noon if I use my magic carpet.”

“You have a magic carpet?” Sofia asked.

“Yup. Don’t ask me where it is though, because it’s probably stashed in our storage room somewhere.” He shrugged, as if just saying you own a magic carpet was normal.

Sofia shook her head. Magicians were weird sometimes.

XXXXXX

After washing up and having breakfast, Sofia took the flying coach straight to Rosemary, where she already ran into Ruby over at Jade’s house. As fantastic and lively it was being a princess, she was glad to spend some time with her friends in the town. To Sofia, it was a reminder of sorts of where she came from. Princess she may be, but she was a lively town girl at heart.

As soon as Sofia made it to Jade’s house, she helped them get started on preparing Jade’s front yard for the birthday party they were going to hold later that day. Jade and Ruby worked on the decorations while Sofia worked on the invitations.

“And there! All done!” Jade smiled as she fixed the last of the daisies. She looked around the yard and nodded at the good work she did in beautifying the place. “Ruby how are the signs?”

“They’re going well, Jade. Big and sparkly, just the way you like it.” Ruby said.

“Sofia, are you done with the invitations?” She asked.

“Yup. This is the last one.” Sofia placed the stamp on the envelope and paced it on the stack of letters next to her. “I think we’re all set, Jade.”

Jade took a look at the invitations and smiled. “Oh, I love it, Sofia! This is going to be the best birthday party ever!”

“It’ll be even better when Dante visits us.” Ruby said. “Will he be able to make it, Sofia?”

“He will, but not until later today. Don’t worry, Dante promised he’ll be here for the party.” Sofia said. Suddenly the oil lamp next to her lit up as a small flame exploded within before dying out, making her jump. “What was that?”

A bolt of light shot from the bushes and hit Jade’s chair, causing it to slide right out from under her and she fell to the ground. Another flash and the quill in Ruby’s hand flew right out of her grasp and poked her in the nose, leaving a dot of red ink on the tip of her nose. And then the box of stamps next to Sofia floated above her and dumped its contents onto her head.

“What’s going on?” Sofia asked.

Jade heard a giggle coming from the bushes and looked over at them to see a pointy purple hat poking out of the bushes. “It’s Lucinda!”

“Who?” Sofia followed Jade’s gaze and saw a young girl about her age hiding in the bushes waving a wand in the air. The girl had long dark indigo hair tied into two ponytails and wore a dark maroon dress with golden stars on her skirt and blue striped stockings.

The girl, Lucinda, waved her wand and began turning all the flowers into dancing mushrooms. Then she flicked her wand upwards and shifted the baubles hanging over the garden into bee hives.

“Stop it!” Jade yelled angrily. “Get out of here, Lucinda!”

Lucinda snickered and tipped her hat mockingly before changing into a raven and flying off. Sofia blinked at the advanced use of magic by someone her age. Being around Dante was one thing, but she never expected to see another child using magic too.

“Who was that?” She asked.

“That’s Lucinda. She’s a witch who moved in about a month ago.” Jade growled, staring sadly at the magical madness Lucinda left in her wake. “Since she came here with her mom, she’s been an absolute terror!”

“She brought Jade’s dolls to life and had them lurking around her house at night scaring her.” Ruby said. “Jade didn’t sleep for almost three nights until Lucinda stopped the spell.”

“And she turned Ruby’s bows into mice.” Jade said.

“And melted my crayons together.” Ruby grumbled. “Those things were expensive!”

“And now she’s ruining my party!” Jade exclaimed.

“Hey, it’s okay you two. A few mushrooms and beehives aren’t enough to stop this party from going on.” Sofia said. “It’ll all be just fine.”

Ruby heard a buzzing near her ear and screamed as she saw a bee zoom past her face. “Bees!”

The three girls hurried into Jade’s house as fast as they could and slammed the door behind them. Sofia let out a breath and gave her friends a shaky smile.

“L-Let’s have the party indoors.” She suggested. “I promise, it’ll be just as fun.”

Jade frowned and looked out the window at her mushroom and bee filled garden. Explaining this to her parents was not going to be fun.

XXXXXX

Once the girls had Jade’s father remove the transfigurated beehives, they went out into town to hand out invitations to the other children. Many of them were Sofia’s old classmates at the local schoolhouse, though she only really kept in touch with Jade and Ruby since becoming a princess.

“Hey, Ruby?” Sofia asked as they followed Jade around handing out invitations. “Why does Lucinda play tricks on everybody?”

“Who knows? She’s a witch, that’s what they do.” Ruby shrugged. “I heard that her mother acts the same way, but even worse!”

Sofia imagined an older woman wearing a pointy hat and witches robes, riding around on a broomstick hexing people. She knew from her Magical Studies classes at Royal Prep that witches were usually women who formed communities called covens and often lived apart from the rest of society, and many of their traditions and beliefs went against social norms. According to Dante, witches were basically magic users who connected with nature and liked to dabble in things most magicians steered clear of. Basically, if you considered something to be taboo or forbidden, the witches are probably fooling around with it.

‘There has to be a reason Lucinda is doing all this. Mom told me that bullies have a reason for picking on others, even as adults. This has to be true, even for a witch.’ Sofia thought.

“I hope you can come to my party, Kate.” Jade said as she handed her friend an invitation. “Everyone’s going to be there.”

“I can’t wait, Jade. Thanks a lot!” The girl smiled and ran off with her letter.

Lucinda peeked at them from around the corner and snickered before flicking her wand. A strong gust of wind slammed into Kate, almost knocking her over and blowing her invitation out of her hand. Lucinda muttered another spell and shot a bolt of light that hit the envelope and transformed it into a paper horse, which galloped away on tiny paper thin legs.

“Wait!” Kate cried out and ran after it.

“This is too good!” Lucinda laughed and twirled her wand at another child, a boy. This time she conjured up a small dog tail on his behind, and in his right, the boy’s pet dog began chasing the tail, and him, in a circle.

“No, no, no, not again!” Jade growled. “Stop it, Lucinda. What you’re doing isn’t funny!”

“It is to me.” Lucinda grinned and slashed her wand upwards.

Jade screamed as wind blew up into her from underneath, sending her stack of invitations flying everywhere. Lucinda cackled and scurried off, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. Jade glared after her and stomped her foot angrily.

“I’m so done with that girl!” Jade growled. She angrily snatched a few falling invitations out of the air with Ruby’s help. “At this rate, I’ll be lucky to even get a piece of cake without her turning it into a beehive or something.”

“Or turning everybody in the party into dolls.” Ruby muttered. “God, I hate dolls.”

Sofia looked at the tired faces of her best friends and frowned. This wasn’t going to do on what was supposed to be a wonderful day for Jade. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

Jade and Ruby gasped. “What? No, Sofia, she’ll hex you!” Jade exclaimed.

“Well she’s not going to stop unless someone asks her to. This is supposed to be your special day, Jade, and I’m not going to let anyone ruin it.” Sofia said firmly. Her face displayed a confidence she certainly did not have. “I’ll be right back. Wish me luck!”

Ruby and Jade watched Sofia walk off with looks of awe and fear on their faces.

“That girl’s gotten braver since she became a princess.” Jade whispered.

“I know. It’s kind of awesome.” Ruby said, and called out to Sofia. “Godspeed, Sofia! I promise not to scream at you if you get turned into a doll!”

“Ruby!” Jade hissed.

“What? I’m just saying.” Ruby shrugged.

XXXXXX

It wasn’t hard to find Lucinda, considering the dark dress she wore, and her pointy hat was hard to miss. Sofia found the girl sitting on a bench in a secluded corner of the street. What caught Sofia’s attention was how the little witch didn’t look very happy as she was earlier. In fact, she looked kind of sad.

‘What could she be sad about?’ Sofia wondered. She got her answer when Lucinda pulled something out of her skirt pocket—Jade’s party invitation. ‘When did she get that?’

“Must be nice having parties with friends.” Lucinda muttered to herself.

Sofia decided this was the perfect moment to talk to the witch. She came out of her hiding spot and slowly walked over to the bench. When she was close enough, she cleared her throat and spoke to her. “Lucinda?”

Lucinda froze and looked up, quickly putting the letter back into her pocket as got to her feet. “Who are you?” She asked snidely.

“I’m…Sofia. Sofia Pendragon.” Sofia replied, giving her a smile. “Pleased to meet you, Lucinda.”

Lucinda didn’t return the courtesy, eying Sofia’s magenta dress warily. “What’s with the dress? You a noble or something?”

“Um, I’m a princess.” Sofia answered.

“A princess?” Lucinda repeated skeptically. “You?”

“Yes, a princess. Is something wrong with that?”

“Your aura is too strong for you to be a princess.” Lucinda said. “You have to be a mage or something.”

“My…aura?” Sofia blinked.

Lucinda frowned. “You don’t know what an aura is? It’s the energy field generated by a person’s mana. Magic users have stronger auras that they can sense when their near each other. This is basic stuff. How do you not know it?”

“Well, I only started practicing magic this morning. My royal sorcerer’s apprentice, Dante started teaching me.” Sofia said.

“That explains it. A princess being trained by the little bungle of Cedric the Bungler.” Lucinda snickered. Sofia frowned at that. “Now what do you want, little princess mage?”

“I would like you to stop hexing my friends…please.” Sofia said politely.

“I’m sorry, you want me to what?” Lucinda cocked an eyebrow at her. “Why would I do that?”

“Because it’s not nice.” Sofia said as if it were common knowledge. Which, to her, it was.

“That’s why I do it. I’m a witch. Witches aren’t nice.” Lucinda shot back. “Trust me, I’ve got nothing on the witches in Freezenberg. At least I’m not a cannibal.”

‘Hard to argue that.’ Sofia thought. “But you wouldn’t hex your own friends, would you?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Lucinda said. She tried to put on a nonchalant air, but the downturn of her expression told Sofia another story.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Sofia asked. “Don’t you have any friends?”

“No.” Lucinda answered. “But it’s fine. I’m a witch, and we do our best magic when we’re alone.”

“You don’t mean that.” Sofia protested. “Everyone needs a friend, even witches.”

“Whatever, I’m not arguing with a sorcerer-trained princess.” Lucinda got up to walk away.

“Wait, wait! I know you want to go to Jade’s birthday party, don’t you? That’s why you feel sad, because you want to be included.” Sofia said. Lucinda spun around, clutching her wand angrily.

“Beat it, princess, or I’ll hex you!” She growled.

Sofia crossed her arms. “Lucinda, that’s not nice. You don’t threaten your friends—ah!”

Sofia screamed as she was sent floating off the ground with a wave of Lucinda’s wand. Like a feather in the wind, she was lifted into the air, and she quickly held her dress down so her skirt didn’t fly up.

“I told you to beat it.” Lucinda grinned.

“Lucinda, put me down.” Sofia said sternly.

Lucinda crossed her arms and looked away. Sofia crossed her arms and gave Lucinda a look she had been perfecting with Amber’s help. It only took a few seconds before Lucinda caved in and canceled the floating spell.

“Okay, fine!” Lucinda sighed and pouted. It wasn’t fun when her victims weren’t screaming in panic. Kind of the whole reason witches terrorized people, you know. “It…would be nice to have some real friends. And go to parties.”

“So if you want to have friends, why do you play tricks on people?” Sofia asked.

“I don’t know how to do anything else. It’s just what witches do. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother are all witches, and I’m just continuing the family tradition.” Lucinda said, plopping herself down on a bench. “I used to live with a larger coven, but my mom had us move here since the people in Enchancia are a bit more…accepting of magic users. Witches aren’t as popular like those goody two-shoes sorcerers you hang out with. We had to leave everything behind to live a better life here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Sofia said softly. “Where did you use to live?”

“On the outskirts of Rudistan.” Lucinda smiled humorlessly at Sofia’s wince. “Yeah, now you know why I left.”

Rudistan, the kingdom King Magnus hailed from, was one of the few nations in the Tri-Kingdom area that cracked down on magic and those who use it. Magic was strictly regulated, and basic magicians and sorcerers had to adhere to strict guidelines or be forced into exile or imprisonment. Witches were traditionally unconventional magic users who practice more natural and primal methods of spellcasting, weren’t accepted in Rudistan’s society and were often persecuted.

“If you want friends, then why play tricks on people. That sounds kind of counter-productive.” Sofia said.

“It’s a family tradition. Some witches sell potions and brews to others, some adopt young girls as apprentices, my family just runs around playing tricks on people. Honestly, I find it easier to do that than talk to regular people.” Lucinda said. “When you’re raised from birth around witches who are just like you, it’s really hard trying to meet other people. Especially mundanes who barely know magic.”

Sofia nodded, feeling like she knew where Lucinda was coming from. “I know how you feel, Lucinda.”

“Really?” Lucinda said in shock. “You don’t get along with regular people either?”

“No, no, it’s not that. But I know what it feels like to be someplace new and feel like an outcast.” Sofia explained. “You see, I wasn’t born a princess, so when I moved into the castle, everything was so strange and alien to me, a girl who spent her entire life as a commoner. I felt like an outcast, but thanks to some good friends of mine, I was able to get used to my new home.”

Sofia moved closer to Lucinda. “So, if you want, I can help you make some friends of your own.”

“But who would want to be friends with a witch?” Lucinda frowned. Sofia noticed that she didn’t outright refuse her help. “I played tricks on literally every single kid in the town.”

“Everyone?” Sofia blinked.

Lucinda rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I was very thorough.”

“Okay, if that’s the case, then let’s with a simple apology.” Sofia told her.

“An apology?”

“Yeah, you know, I’m sorry.” Sofia smiled. Lucinda wriggled her nose and crossed her arms.

“So you think a sorry from me is going to make them magically like me just like that?” Lucinda snorted. “Witch please.”

“But apologizing first is just the first step, Lucinda. Once you do that, things will start to get better. But only if you take that first step.” Sofia pressed.

Lucinda still looked unsure, looking to the side nervously. This was uncharted territory for her. “I guess we can try it out.”

“Great!” Sofia smiled and took Lucinda’s hand. “Come with me. Ruby and Jade should still be in the town square. I’ll be with you to explain everything.”

Lucinda bit her lip but followed Sofia anyway. Witches never shied away from anything, and this was no different. Hopefully.

XXXXXX

“So should we get lilacs for Sofia’s funeral or something brighter?” Ruby asked.

“Ruby.” Jade sent Ruby a look.

“I’m sorry, but as cool Sofia is, she’s no match for that wicked witch. I’m already trying to think up an explanation to the King and Queen as to why her daughter was turned into a doll.” Ruby said.

“Sofia’s not going to be turned into a doll, Ruby. You really need to get over that.” Jade admonished.

“Says you. I’ll get over it when I’m sure my doll won’t come and smother me in my sleep.” Ruby huffed. “Just in case I’ll have my dollhouse ready in case Sofia needs a place to stay.”

“Honestly, Ruby.” Jade rolled her eyes.

“Ruby, Jade!” The girls looked down the street and saw Sofia waving at them.

“See? Sofia’s fine.” Jade said. “She’s a tough girl—“

“Oh my god, is that Lucinda?” Ruby gasped.

“What?!” Jade looked back and saw Lucinda behind Sofia. “Sofia, look out!”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down!” Sofia raised her hands to calm her friends down. Lucinda scooched back behind her sheepishly as the other girls got the hell out of dodge as fast as they could. “It’s fine, she’s with me.”

Jade and Ruby looked at her as if she said that the world was flat. Sofia gave them a shaky smile and moved Lucinda forward.

“Girls, Lucinda has something to say to you.” She nudged Lucinda forward. “Go ahead Lucinda.”

The little witch looked like a deer in a hunter’s sights. She stumbled over her words as she tried to think of a way to apologize, which was something she never did to anyone other than her witch friends, which was rare in itself. Jade’s glare wasn’t helping her either.

“Um, I’m…I’m…” Lucinda cleared her throat and clasped her hands. “I’m sorry! I’m really, really sorry for hexing you.”

“Yeah, no, I don’t buy it.” Jade said coldly and turned away.

“Jade!” Sofia exclaimed. “Lucinda said she’s sorry. We’ve had a talk and I’ve managed to convince her that hexing people isn’t a good way to make friends.”

“You managed to talk to her without getting hexed?” Ruby said with a raised brow.

“Well, she sort of made me float a little like a balloon, but it’s good now. All in the past.” Sofia said quickly. “The point is that she’s lonely, and she doesn’t know how to make friends outside of her coven. So, I was think that maybe you could…invite her to your party?”

“What? No, Sofia, that’s not happening.” Jade growled. “Lucinda tried to ruin my party already.”

“Yeah, twice.” Ruby said. Jade nodded.

“She’s probably just using you so she can get into the party and ruin it a third time for kicks.” Jade said and walked past Sofia while sending Lucinda a glare. “I’ll never invite her to my party!”

Lucinda felt a flash of anger at Jade’s scorn and without thinking flicked her wand at the girl. A small raincloud manifested over Jade’s head and started to rain on her, making her dress wet. Jade growled and spun around to glare at Lucinda.

“See?” She hissed.

Lucinda snorted but a look from Sofia made her stop. “Right, sorry, sorry. Let me fix that.”

Another flick of the wand and the raincloud vanished. “All better?” Lucinda asked smiling.”

Jade scowled, still soaking wet. “Not all better!”

Lucinda sucked her teeth and cast another spell that drew all the moisture from Jade’s dress and hair and threw it away. Then she cast another spell to make the wind blow on her to dry her off completely.

“All dry!” Lucinda chirped.

“Jade, please, she’s honestly trying to make up for hexing you.” Sofia pleaded with her.

“I’m still not inviting her Sofia, so stop trying.” Jade said firmly and marched away. Ruby ran after her.

“Jade, where are you going?” Ruby asked.

“Back home. That witch may have Sofia fooled, but she’s not getting me a third time.” Jade said. “Bullies like her will only leave you alone if you stand up to them and chase them off.”

“What are you planning?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a witch trap that’ll make that girl sorry she ever tried to ruin my party.” Jade said. “If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to salvage the party and celebrate my birthday in peace.”

XXXXXX

Lucinda watched Jade stomp away with a frown and gave a frustrated grunt. “See? She still hates me! What was I even thinking that she was going to forgive me after one apology?”

“I’m so sorry, Lucinda. Jade can hold a grudge when she gets mad, but this will take time.” Sofia said. “Some people take a little longer to forgive than others.”

“No, Sofia, it’s not going to work. I tried, I failed and I’m certainly not going to have the rest of the town say the same thing to my face.” Lucinda said and mounted her broom. “I’m going home. This was just a waste of time.”

“No, Lucinda, stop!” Sofia panicked and impulsively did something that she would later beat herself up for later on when looking back at this moment.

She grabbed onto the tail end of Lucinda’s broom just as it took flight.

The speed at which they flew into the air was startling. Witches’ brooms were no joke after all. Sofia felt her feet leave the ground and the wind rushing through her hair as Lucinda flew over the entire town. The witch glanced back at Sofia with a look of shock and horror.

“What are you doing? Let go!” Lucinda yelled, looking more worried than Sofia had ever seen her.

“I can’t! If I let go, I’ll die!” Sofia exclaimed, holding onto the bristles of the broom tightly.

Unfortunately her weight was too much for the broom to handle, and caused it to veer off balance. As the broom tipped back, Sofia lost her grip on the broom and fell with a scream.

“Sofia!” Lucina cried out. She spun around and waved her wand, casting a spell with speed she didn’t even know she had. She cushion of air underneath the princess to slow her fall and safely guide her back to solid earth.

Sofia landed on her feet shakily, her heart pounding from that little misadventure. Lucinda flew down to her and jumped off her broom.

“Sofia are you alright?” Lucinda asked worriedly.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. That was a close call though.” Sofia gulped.

“Yeah, try not grabbing a witch’s broom like that next time. I thought princesses were supposed to be daintier than this.” Lucinda huffed.

“I’m different from other princesses.” Sofia remarked and took a deep breath. “Thank you for saving me, Lucinda. See? You really do have it in your to be good.”

“That was only because it’s my fault you fell in the first place.” Lucinda said, looking away.

That gave Sofia an idea. She snapped her fingers and took Lucinda’s hand. “That’s it! Why don’t you prove you’re sincere by fixing all the damage you caused today?”

“Huh?” Lucinda blinked.

“You were right about words not being enough. Actions speak louder. Show the other kids you’re really trying to change by fixing everything you’ve done.” Sofia explained to her. “Then maybe they’ll warm up to you.”

Lucinda thought about it, seeing the logic in that method. “By fix everything, do you mean _all_ of my hexes?”

Sofia nodded. “Yup. Every last one.”

“_All_ of them?” She asked again.

Sofia just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the witch. Lucinda sighed.

“Okay, I’ll undo all of them. It’s a shame to undo such works of art, but as long as it’s in the name of friendship.” She said shrugging. Lucinda twirled her wand in her hand and smiled. “Well, let’s get to work!”

XXXXXX

After seeing Jade off back at her house, Ruby headed back to the town square to find Sofia. Jade was dead set on “witch-proofing” her house to survive another Lucinda attack, and while Ruby could see where she was coming from, she really hoped Jade didn’t take it too far. Jade sometimes went overboard when it came to getting even. In their circle of friends, if Sofia was the optimistic and helpful one, and Ruby was the sweet and friendly one, then Jade was the supportive but hard one. She was that friend who acted as a buffer to anyone who tried to mess with them.

“I really hope Sofia wasn’t turned into a doll.” Ruby prayed. Sofia was a wonderful girl who tried to see the good in everyone, but Ruby was afraid that’ll get her in trouble with someone who didn’t have a sensitive side. Not everyone could be redeemed…nor did they want to.

She spotted the tell-tale lavender dress Sofia wore in the town square, and she almost called out to her. But then she noticed Lucinda and paled. What was Sofia still doing with that witch? Ruby almost yelled at Lucinda to stay away from her friend, but then she noticed something.

Lucinda was smiling. Actually smiling. It wasn’t one of her evil little smirks that she had when she cast her hexes. The little witch actually looked happy. Ruby had to admit, that smile looked good on her.

What was even more amazing was that Lucinda was doing something other than hexing people. She was…fixing things! Looking happier than Ruby had ever seen her, Lucinda fluttered about the street waving her wand and undoing all the hexes she casted upon the houses and children. The other children, while warily observing her, didn’t run away at the sight of her.

‘What’s going on?’ Ruby thought. She knew Sofia had to have been behind this change. Who else could’ve managed this?

Taking a deep breath, Ruby approached the two girls, who soon noticed her presence. “Hey, Sofia…Lucinda.”

Lucinda gave a little wave and a sheepish smile. “Hey.”

“Ruby, check this out. Lucinda’s fixing all the damage she’s caused!” Sofia said.

“I can see that.” Ruby said. “How did you manage that?”

“We just talked.” Sofia shrugged. “Lucinda really wants to change, Ruby, and I helped her figure out that hexing isn’t the way to make any friends.”

“And you managed to get her to undo all the hexes she cast?”

“Yup.” Sofia nodded proudly. Lucinda blushed a bit at the appraisal from Sofia. “The other children are already warming up to her after she fixed the damages.”

Ruby looked at Lucinda, who stood next to the princess looking less like a wicked witch and more like a girl who probably had no idea how to interact with people who didn’t use magic. Ruby’s initial fear of Lucinda began to lessen though she was still wary of the girl.

“Sofia’s right, I am trying to change. I haven’t really made any attempts to make any friends in Rosemary because I grew up around witches, but I just realized how lonely it’s made me. That’s not a good feeling to have.” Lucinda said and stepped forward to Ruby. “I’m sorry for terrorizing you and Jade. And I’m really sorry about the dolls. I’ve had some bad experiences with animated dolls myself when I was little and…yeah, let’s just say what I did to your dolls was lukewarm at best compared to what some other witches will do to them.”

“Good lord, what kind of friends did you have?” Ruby asked in amazement.

“The scary and wicked kind.” Lucinda replied.

Ruby crossed her arms and gave Lucinda a cautious look. “On any other day, I wouldn’t have believed that you changed, but since you ran into Sofia of all people, I’ll give you a chance.” She looked around at the town square which looked pristine and untouched, if a little bit shabby as it always had been. “And I can’t deny you worked hard to fix everything.”

“I did.” Lucinda nodded.

“Honestly, if Sofia’s willing to put some faith in you, then I’ll give you a chance too. But Jade…she holds grudges, and it’ll take her some time to come around. You’re going to have to work real hard to gain her trust.”

Sofia bit her lip. Jade was a prickly girl when she was angered, and wasn’t one for fancy words or empty promises.

“I better get going and see who else is coming to the party. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to have some cake before the day is over.” Ruby sighed and waved at the girls as she walked off. “Honestly, Lucinda, I hope you do find a place here. Rosemary’s a wonderful place if you give it a chance.”

Lucinda looked around the street and for once she didn’t feel anything negative towards the place. Now that she had a friend, Rosemary didn’t feel so alien to her. “I can see why.”

Ruby walked off and Lucinda turned to Sofia. “So what now? Ruby’s right, Jade’s probably going to be the hardest girl to apologize to. Is she really that vindictive?”

“She’s not that vindictive, but Jade is a very emotional girl who hates bullies and pranksters. It’s gotten her into a lot of fights with some of the neighborhood boys.” Sofia sighed and rubbed her chin. Looking around at the other children smiling at Lucinda for once, Sofia came up with another idea. “The party!”

“What?” Lucinda asked.

“You can make it up to Jade by fixing her party. Remember you hexed the decorations earlier? She’s still mad about that.” Sofia explained. “Come with me to Jade’s house and you can help fix everything with your magic. Then Jade can have her party outside again! In fact, she’ll be so happy she’ll definitely invite you.”

“That…sounds like a great idea.” Lucinda said with a smile. It felt a bit strange, but also surprisingly good to not use her magic to tease other kids. Honestly their reactions to her hexing them didn’t feel as good as when she’d play those same pranks on her friends back at her old home.

Lucinda fiddled with her wand a bit before saying, “Hey, Sofia? T-Thank you. It really means a lot that you’re helping me with this.”

“Anything for a friend.” Sofia said, grasping Lucinda’s hand.

“A friend?” Lucinda blinked. “I’m your friend?”

“Of course! I’m always happy to have new friends, especially ones as special and talented as you are.”

Lucinda looked so happy she could jump up and throw around a few firework spells in celebration. Thankfully she refrained from doing that, but she did give Sofia a quick but tight hug to show how happy she made her.

“Let’s hurry before we’re too late.” Lucinda said, running over to her broom. “We can get there faster on this.”

“Oh, no I think I’m good, thanks.” Sofia said nervously. Lucinda gave her a cheeky smile.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” She said.

“It wasn’t so fun when I fell several feet off it.” Sofia replied.

Lucinda chuckled and waved her broom, which looked rather ordinary for something that could move as fast as a bald eagle at full speed, and said, “Only because you weren’t sitting on it, you were dangling from it. Broom riding is one of the best things about being a witch. It’s fun and cool and really, really refreshing! You’ll love it!”

“You…think so?” Sofia asked cautiously. She had ridden on Maximillian dozens of times, and even as friends he was still a bit wild to ride at the best of times. A witch’s broom shouldn’t be that bad.

“Would I lie to my only friend?” Lucinda asked.

“I don’t know.” Sofia replied wryly.

Lucinda just smiled and mounted her broom, patting the spot behind her. Sofia decided to let the girl have her fun and hopped on behind Lucinda. She gave a little gasp when the broom suddenly took off like a bird, and the ground fell away below her. She clung tight to the broom, but didn’t feel too scared this time. Now that she was riding a broom properly, it actually felt kind of good.

“Wow, this feels amazing!” Sofia exclaimed, looking down at the town below them as they flew over the houses and shops.

“I’ve never given anyone a ride on my broom before.” Lucinda said.

“Why not?”

“I grew up in a witch’s coven, remember? Everyone else already had their own brooms.” Lucinda replied. “And I’ve never had a friend here to give a ride to.”

Sofia hugged Lucinda around the waist. “Well you already have one friend. After you fix Jade’s party, you’ll have lots more.”

Lucinda really hoped that’d happen. Now that she had a real non-witch friend in this town, she definitely wanted more to spend time with her. She never wanted to be lonely every again like that. Even for a hardcore witch like herself, she needed someone to talk to every once in a while.

XXXXXX

Lucinda landed her broom right in front of Lucinda’s house, softly floating to the ground and letting Sofia get off. “So how was it?” Lucinda asked grinning.

“That ride was much better when I wasn’t dangling off the end like fish bait.” Sofia said. “I can’t believe you get to do that every day.”

“We witches know how to have fun when we’re given the chance.” Lucinda smiled and walked over to the front gate. She frowned when she saw the front yard where the party was supposed to be held. “Oh no…”

Now that Lucinda really got a good look at the yard, she began to feel guilty. The streamers that she turned into snakes, the lanterns turned into beehives, that one dancing doll that used to be Ruby’s that she lost track of a month ago, and the party decorations transfigured into mushrooms (thankfully not poisonous ones, that was a bit much even for her). Before she had done this out of spite at not being invited to Jade’s birthday party, but now that she was trying to turn over a new leaf, she realized that what she did was really, really bad.

“By Hecate, I really messed things up didn’t I?” Lucinda asked.

“Yeah, you kind of did.” Sofia said. “But that’s why we’re here. To fix it.”

Lucinda took a deep breath and opened the gate. “Well, better get to work.”

While Lucinda began dispelling all the hexes she cast upon Jade’s front yard, the birthday girl herself was inside wit Ruby setting up decorations along the inside of her house. You only turn thirteen once, Jade wasn’t going to let some witch ruin this day for her. The next time Lucinda stopped by, she would be ready.

Ruby however was of a different mind. After seeing how much Lucinda changed after meeting Sofia, and seeing the effort she was putting into fixing the mess she made, Ruby started to somewhat warm up to the witch. And after seeing the surprisingly mean spirited piñata of Lucinda that Jade had made, she was starting to worry about her.

Jade was just putting the finishing touches on the piñata when she heard a familiar giggle that she had trained herself to listen out for, for her own protection. She narrowed her eyes and looked to the window.

“Ruby, did you hear that?” She asked.

“Hear what?” Ruby said.

“That laugh. It came from outside.” Jade went over to the window and peeked through the curtains. When she saw Lucinda standing in her front yard, she gasped. “I knew it! It’s Lucinda!”

“Really?” Ruby looked out the window just in time to see the witch run off to another part of the yard.

“That little witch is here for seconds!” Jade growled.

“Now Jade, maybe she’s just here for the party.” Ruby said.

“Yeah to wreck it. But I’m prepared this time.” Jade smirked and motioned to the overelaborate trap she set up. It consisted of a net placed on the floor by the door, and a long rope tied to the piñata that acted as an anchor. One pull of the rope and the anchor will fall, pulling the net up and wrapping up anything that was inside.

Ruby stared up in shock at the trap. “When did you make this?”

“When you were out giving out the invitations.” Jade answered, feeling proud of herself. “It took me a while to make the piñata, but considering how well it turned out, I think it was worth it.”

“Jade, I really think that Lucinda’s trying to change. I mean, you should’ve seen her back in town.” Ruby said. “I think talking to Sofia helped her change her tune.”

“Sofia’s a great person, Ruby, but not everyone wants to be changed. Especially a witch like Lucinda.” Jade said, spitting out the word “witch”. “And I’m not risking her doing something bad to us or her.”

“But Jade—“ Ruby tried to say but Jade cut her off.

“Do you know that your doll just popped up in my yard? That creepy thing’s been doing a river dance without taking its eyes off the house!” Jade exclaimed. “Enough’s enough, Ruby. I’m going to teach that witch she messed with the wrong girl!”

Jade and Ruby went quiet when they heard giggling outside the door and Jade yanked her friend to the side to hide. There was a knock on the door and Jade eagerly peeked out to see Lucinda come through the door. But when the door creaked open, it wasn’t Lucinda who entered, it was Sofia!

“Jade? Are you here?” Sofia called out. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Sofia, wait!” Jade called out.

Just as Sofia took a couple of steps into the house, she triggered the trap. The net on the floor wrapped her up and the weighted piñata fell from the ceiling, lifting the surprised princess up into the air with enough force to dislodge the banners and decorations that Jade had just got done setting up moments ago.

“Jade, what is this? What’s going on?” Sofia demanded. Honestly, did becoming a princess make her a target or something?

“What am I doing?” Jade said, running out to set Sofia back down to the floor. “What are you doing? You weren’t supposed to walk through the door. The trap was for Lucinda!”

“That trap…was for me?” Lucinda said in a soft voice, her eyes watering.

“Look at this mess!” Jade yelled angrily. “Everything’s ruined. Again!”

“At least the cake’s safe.” Ruby pointed out.

Only for the dancing doll from earlier to come crashing through the window like a rocket and body slam the cake, knocking it to the floor before resuming its eternal dance atop the spilled frosting like a conquer surveying his defeated enemies.

“I stand corrected.” Ruby sighed.

Jade gave an enraged shout, all of her frustration spilling forth in a single outburst. She sent her glare at Lucinda, who took a step back at her anger. “This is all your fault! You’ve been nothing but trouble since you got here. Just go away before you ruin anything else!”

Lucinda’s lip trembled and her eyes grew teary before she ran out the door and down the street. Sofia called out to her but the witch was long gone before she could say anything.

“Jade, you went too far.” Sofia said sternly, giving her friend a glare. “It wasn’t Lucinda’s fault.”

“What are you talking about? Look at this place!” Jade replied.

“None of this would have happened if you didn’t set that trap.” Sofia said calmly. She looked at Jade disappointed at her attitude and for hurting Lucinda’s feelings, and it made Jade look away in shame. It didn’t feel good to have Sofia of all people disappointed in you.

“But…I…” She stammered. “Lucinda was coming to ruin my party.”

“She came over to fix your garden.” Sofia brought Jade over to the window and opened the curtains, revealing Jade’s front yard and garden.

Jade and Ruby stared in amazement. The yard looked good as new, with all the decorations returned to normal and even sporting an enchanted shine to them to make them sparkle in the sunlight. The toadstools were turned back into chairs and the beehives back into lanterns. Jade was positively speechless.

“Lucinda didn’t come here to ruin your party. She just wanted to be invited to it. To spend time with friends.” Sofia said softly. She put a hand on Jade’s arm. “She reversed her hexes as an apology to you.”

Jade held her hands to her mouth, the full weight of what she done fully setting in. “Oh god, what have I done?”

Looking back at the new and improved front yard, Jade steeled herself and ran for the door, flinging it open.

“Jade?” Ruby called out. “Where’s she going?”

“I have an idea.” Sofia answered and ran after her friend. “Follow me.”

XXXXXX

It wasn’t hard to find Lucinda, Jade just had to follow the trail of hexed objects she left in her wake. When she finally caught up to Lucinda, the witch was stomping through the park with red sparks flying from her wand.

“Lucinda!” Jade called out. Lucinda spun around and pointed her wand at Jade, making her stop.

“What do you want?” Lucinda spat. Jade felt her heart lurch when she saw the tears in Lucinda’s eyes.

“I just want to talk.” She said, holding her hands up.

“I’ve heard all that you’ve needed to say.” Lucinda growled. “You hate witches, I get it. After all, who wants a witch as a friend right?” She gave a choked laugh and shook her head. “I don’t even know why I tried. It’s the same wherever I go. No one wants a witch around.”

“That’s not true!” Jade said.

“You set a trap for me!” Lucinda shouted.

“I know, and I’m so, so sorry I did that to you after all the work you did to fix my garden. I was so angry and I didn’t believe that you had changed.” Jade said honestly. When Lucinda looked away, she cautiously walked over to her and grasped Lucinda’s gloved hands. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. What I did was unforgiveable, justified or not.”

Lucinda looked up at her shyly and Jade reached up to wipe the tears in her eyes. The witch finally lowered her guard when Jade smiled at her and she grasped Jade’s hands.

“I’m sorry I ruined your party earlier. Never let it be said that witches aren’t vindictive, huh?” Lucinda said.

“But never let it be said that witches can’t change.” Jade replied smiling. She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a card. “Here, I think you should have this.”

“Is that…” Lucinda took the card and her eyes widened. “You’re…you’re really inviting me?”

“It’s the least I could do after all the hard work you’ve done.” Jade said. “But, it may not be as fun as it should be after I ruined everything.”

“Ruined? Honey, did you forget what I am?” Lucinda smirked, her mood lightening as she took Jade’s hand and led her back to her house. “There’s nothing a witch like me can’t fix!”

XXXXXX

When the girls returned to the house, Lucinda got right to work in fixing the damage and improving the party. She added a few more decorations, some streamers and bows that glowed deep greens and reds, a perfect combination in Jade’s book, and even conjured a few floating instruments for music.

The best part was that Lucinda even fixed Jade’s birthday cake, reconstructing it and making it bigger for all the guests to enjoy, even lightning the candles herself. It was quite the sight to see the other children gaping at how magnificent everything looked. Sofia loved the big smile on Jade’s face when she levitated the cake to her so she could blow out the candles.

“Looks like you had an eventful day.” Sofia jumped and looked to the side to see Dante holding two plates with cake on them.

“Dante, you made it!” Sofia said brightly, accepting the cake slice. “How was your day?”

“About the same as you’d imagine when hanging out around Cedric all day. Pyra got into a shouting match with Wormwood, for reasons I cannot fathom. I’m guessing she tried to be his friend by stabbing him with her stinger and he didn’t take kindly to it.”

“I really need to talk to her about that.” The princess sighed. It was like taking care of a child with that manticore.

Dante glanced over at Lucinda, who was performing a few flashy magic tricks for the other children. “I see you’ve made a new friend. Never thought to see a witch around these parts.”

Lucinda was currently sitting next to Jade watching the other children have fun at the party. Jade looked over at her and unclipped the daisy flower hairclip she had on and attached it to one of Lucinda’s ponytails. Lucinda smiled and handed Jade a little bracelet made from flower petals from different plants she found back at home. The two girls smiled at each other and held hands, finally at ease with one another.

“That won’t be a problem for you, would it?” Sofia asked, knowing about the friction between standard magicians and witches.

“No, any friend of yours is a friend of mine…so long as she stays in her corner.” He added with a wink. He used his fork to take a piece of cake to eat, but his fork hit something hard. “Huh?”

After tapping his slice a few times, he realized that it had been turned into a plastic cake slice when he was talking to Sofia. Dante narrowed his eyes at Lucinda. “That little witch.”

Sofia giggled and glanced at Lucinda, who sent her a cheeky wink and a grin.

Even though she was no longer a bad witch, nobody said that Lucinda couldn’t be naughty!


End file.
